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General help files
Child welfare data
Frequently asked questions
Commonly used acronyms
Measures on the experiences report
CFSR measures
Abuse & neglect
Children in foster care

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Demographics: Count of children aged <19 years in previous 5 years

Number of children in custody by year

Annual data by gender and age

From # of Children in Custody Female Male Ages 0-5 Ages 6-12 Ages 13-17 Ages 18 and Over
2025 Jan. 15,738 7,813 7,925 5,503 4,714 3,845 1,676
2024 Oct. 15,893 7,928 7,965 5,622 4,762 3,838 1,671
2024 July 16,028 8,036 7,992 5,719 4,723 3,943 1,643
2024 April 15,917 7,968 7,949 5,698 4,711 3,837 1,671
2024 Jan. 15,889 7,952 7,937 5,706 4,653 3,828 1,702
2023 Oct. 16,013 8,048 7,965 5,799 4,701 3,802 1,711
2023 July 16,009 8,031 7,978 5,767 4,743 3,805 1,694
2023 April 15,972 8,027 7,945 5,807 4,693 3,796 1,676
2023 Jan. 16,008 8,068 7,940 5,838 4,746 3,772 1,652
2022 Oct. 16,192 8,150 8,042 5,903 4,820 3,818 1,651
2022 July 16,175 8,126 8,049 5,862 4,816 3,836 1,661
2022 April 16,248 8,198 8,050 5,888 4,850 3,876 1,634
2022 Jan. 16,095 8,125 7,970 5,861 4,805 3,802 1,627
2021 Oct. 16,251 8,213 8,038 5,879 4,893 3,777 1,702
2021 July 16,442 8,319 8,123 5,927 4,886 3,732 1,897
2021 April 16,479 8,352 8,127 5,974 4,948 3,722 1,835
2021 Jan. 16,443 8,315 8,128 6,005 4,961 3,688 1,789
2020 Oct. 16,681 8,390 8,291 6,115 5,072 3,743 1,751
2020 July 16,725 8,396 8,329 6,109 5,155 3,766 1,695
2020 April 16,516 8,271 8,245 6,070 5,093 3,681 1,672
2020 Jan. 16,569 8,324 8,245 6,119 5,144 3,647 1,659
2019 Oct. 16,744 8,423 8,320 6,224 5,217 3,654 1,649
2019 July 16,912 8,470 8,441 6,312 5,316 3,644 1,640
2019 April 17,208 8,592 8,615 6,449 5,404 3,725 1,630
2019 Jan. 17,029 8,474 8,553 6,387 5,359 3,652 1,631
2018 Oct. 17,166 8,514 8,650 6,506 5,440 3,636 1,584
2018 July 17,073 8,462 8,609 6,568 5,374 3,578 1,553
2018 April 16,891 8,381 8,508 6,469 5,361 3,501 1,560
2018 Jan. 16,812 8,271 8,541 6,449 5,349 3,481 1,533
2017 Oct. 16,949 8,329 8,620 6,568 5,396 3,499 1,486
2017 July 16,864 8,229 8,635 6,533 5,316 3,606 1,409
2017 April 16,728 8,161 8,567 6,487 5,300 3,597 1,344
2017 Jan. 16,757 8,145 8,612 6,580 5,336 3,591 1,250
2016 Oct. 16,714 8,100 8,614 6,605 5,368 3,568 1,173
2016 July 16,660 8,074 8,586 6,588 5,385 3,579 1,108
2016 April 16,492 8,012 8,480 6,508 5,346 3,565 1,073
2016 Jan. 16,228 7,805 8,423 6,418 5,245 3,527 1,038
2015 Oct. 16,272 7,820 8,452 6,454 5,232 3,548 1,038
2015 July 15,973 7,694 8,279 6,267 5,126 3,536 1,044
2015 April 15,743 7,607 8,136 6,186 4,978 3,552 1,027
2015 Jan. 15,546 7,515 8,031 6,116 4,910 3,547 973
2014 Oct. 15,558 7,486 8,072 6,102 4,954 3,543 959
2014 July 15,378 7,415 7,963 5,954 4,858 3,616 950
2014 April 15,208 7,354 7,854 5,861 4,778 3,593 976
2014 Jan. 14,911 7,193 7,718 5,788 4,621 3,536 966
2013 Oct. 14,919 7,203 7,716 5,848 4,599 3,522 950
2013 July 14,713 7,121 7,592 5,770 4,491 3,487 965
2013 April 14,372 6,961 7,411 5,613 4,381 3,414 964
2013 Jan. 14,188 6,921 7,267 5,557 4,287 3,377 967
2012 Oct. 14,012 6,809 7,203 5,576 4,181 3,297 958
2012 July 13,712 6,647 7,065 5,390 4,095 3,237 990
2012 April 13,753 6,723 7,030 5,390 4,091 3,221 1,051
2012 Jan. 13,593 6,675 6,918 5,354 3,959 3,225 1,055
2011 Oct. 13,811 6,767 7,044 5,448 4,041 3,258 1,064
2011 July 13,879 6,774 7,105 5,426 4,066 3,281 1,106
2011 April 14,022 6,844 7,178 5,507 4,054 3,358 1,103
2011 Jan. 13,898 6,747 7,151 5,410 4,005 3,393 1,090
2010 Oct. 14,112 6,854 7,258 5,492 4,054 3,470 1,096
2010 July 14,299 6,952 7,347 5,483 4,162 3,533 1,121
2010 April 14,165 6,894 7,271 5,378 4,094 3,544 1,149
2010 Jan. 14,127 6,875 7,252 5,369 4,079 3,523 1,156
2009 Oct. 14,355 7,026 7,329 5,449 4,146 3,600 1,160
2009 July 14,568 7,095 7,473 5,451 4,261 3,693 1,163
2009 April 14,573 7,147 7,426 5,430 4,226 3,754 1,163
2009 Jan. 14,696 7,195 7,501 5,436 4,250 3,855 1,155
2008 Oct. 15,125 7,371 7,754 5,589 4,414 4,011 1,111
2008 July 15,336 7,514 7,822 5,687 4,487 4,049 1,113
2008 April 15,564 7,638 7,926 5,727 4,565 4,138 1,134
2008 Jan. 15,808 7,723 8,084 5,779 4,678 4,228 1,123
2007 Oct. 16,146 7,901 8,244 5,935 4,809 4,289 1,113
2007 July 16,558 8,169 8,388 6,073 4,928 4,470 1,087
2007 April 16,681 8,209 8,471 6,107 4,898 4,591 1,085
2007 Jan. 16,926 8,326 8,599 6,250 4,970 4,631 1,075
2006 Oct. 17,235 8,477 8,757 6,421 5,010 4,729 1,075
2006 July 17,392 8,530 8,861 6,401 5,060 4,840 1,091
2006 April 17,299 8,476 8,822 6,310 5,034 4,849 1,106
2006 Jan. 17,277 8,496 8,780 6,283 5,052 4,875 1,067
2005 Oct. 17,321 8,529 8,791 6,309 5,055 4,909 1,048
2005 July 17,267 8,543 8,723 6,233 5,041 4,963 1,030
2005 April 17,099 8,435 8,663 6,180 4,940 4,948 1,031
2005 Jan. 16,913 8,386 8,526 6,029 4,918 4,958 1,008
2004 Oct. 16,865 8,402 8,462 6,029 4,898 4,966 972
2004 July 16,608 8,249 8,359 5,842 4,805 4,997 964
2004 April 16,413 8,110 8,303 5,770 4,713 4,972 958
2004 Jan. 16,105 7,947 8,158 5,655 4,620 4,898 932
2003 Oct. 16,010 7,912 8,098 5,598 4,698 4,806 908
2003 July 15,816 7,798 8,018 5,499 4,674 4,758 885
2003 April 15,610 7,742 7,868 5,348 4,675 4,715 872
2003 Jan. 15,434 7,619 7,815 5,268 4,687 4,598 881
2002 Oct. 15,381 7,613 7,768 5,163 4,737 4,620 861
2002 July 15,430 7,607 7,823 5,133 4,868 4,580 849
2002 April 15,548 7,668 7,880 5,112 5,020 4,564 852
2002 Jan. 15,628 7,710 7,918 5,114 5,052 4,637 825
2001 Oct. 15,648 7,692 7,956 5,105 5,091 4,686 766
2001 July 15,597 7,654 7,943 5,008 5,164 4,681 744
2001 April 15,532 7,612 7,920 4,926 5,196 4,635 775
2001 Jan. 15,710 7,663 8,047 4,946 5,313 4,669 782
2000 Oct. 15,943 7,760 8,183 4,992 5,480 4,705 766
2000 July 16,027 7,786 8,241 4,975 5,562 4,728 762
2000 April 16,090 7,775 8,315 4,925 5,603 4,770 792
2000 Jan. 16,148 7,789 8,359 4,921 5,708 4,761 758


Citations- The suggested way to cite this website is as follows: Duncan, D. F., Stewart, C. J., Seminara, G., Malley, K. M. D., Reives, W., Francis, A., & Guest, S. (2026). Creating Indicators for Child Welfare. Retrieved [month day, year], from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Social Work. https://cip.ssw.unc.edu/ or https://creatingindicators.ssw.unc.edu