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Child welfare data
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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 To # of Children in Custody Female Male Ages 0-5 Ages 6-12 Ages 13-17 Ages 18 and Over
2025 April 2026 March 15,849 7,863 7,986 5,481 4,784 3,889 1,695
2025 Jan. 2025 Dec. 15,738 7,814 7,924 5,508 4,723 3,840 1,667
2024 Oct. 2025 Sept. 15,911 7,932 7,979 5,629 4,765 3,838 1,679
2024 July 2025 June 16,037 8,036 8,001 5,723 4,723 3,940 1,651
2024 April 2025 March 15,924 7,966 7,958 5,700 4,710 3,837 1,677
2024 Jan. 2024 Dec. 15,896 7,949 7,947 5,709 4,649 3,830 1,708
2023 Oct. 2024 Sept. 16,018 8,047 7,971 5,801 4,696 3,806 1,715
2023 July 2024 June 16,012 8,033 7,979 5,768 4,737 3,810 1,697
2023 April 2024 March 15,972 8,023 7,949 5,808 4,688 3,800 1,676
2023 Jan. 2023 Dec. 16,008 8,064 7,944 5,839 4,742 3,774 1,653
2022 Oct. 2023 Sept. 16,192 8,144 8,048 5,903 4,817 3,821 1,651
2022 July 2023 June 16,175 8,119 8,056 5,862 4,814 3,838 1,661
2022 April 2023 March 16,248 8,194 8,054 5,888 4,848 3,877 1,635
2022 Jan. 2022 Dec. 16,095 8,126 7,969 5,861 4,803 3,804 1,627
2021 Oct. 2022 Sept. 16,251 8,214 8,037 5,881 4,888 3,781 1,701
2021 July 2022 June 16,442 8,319 8,123 5,929 4,882 3,734 1,897
2021 April 2022 March 16,479 8,355 8,124 5,977 4,944 3,723 1,835
2021 Jan. 2021 Dec. 16,443 8,321 8,122 6,007 4,959 3,687 1,790
2020 Oct. 2021 Sept. 16,681 8,394 8,287 6,119 5,068 3,742 1,752
2020 July 2021 June 16,725 8,398 8,327 6,111 5,156 3,763 1,695
2020 April 2021 March 16,516 8,266 8,250 6,072 5,093 3,678 1,673
2020 Jan. 2020 Dec. 16,569 8,321 8,248 6,119 5,144 3,646 1,660
2019 Oct. 2020 Sept. 16,744 8,424 8,319 6,224 5,218 3,652 1,650
2019 July 2020 June 16,912 8,465 8,446 6,309 5,318 3,644 1,641
2019 April 2020 March 17,208 8,584 8,623 6,443 5,410 3,722 1,633
2019 Jan. 2019 Dec. 17,029 8,465 8,562 6,382 5,364 3,653 1,630
2018 Oct. 2019 Sept. 17,166 8,505 8,659 6,502 5,444 3,635 1,585
2018 July 2019 June 17,073 8,460 8,611 6,566 5,376 3,577 1,554
2018 April 2019 March 16,891 8,374 8,515 6,468 5,362 3,500 1,561
2018 Jan. 2018 Dec. 16,812 8,273 8,539 6,447 5,348 3,484 1,533
2017 Oct. 2018 Sept. 16,949 8,338 8,611 6,569 5,394 3,497 1,489
2017 July 2018 June 16,864 8,233 8,631 6,533 5,314 3,605 1,412
2017 April 2018 March 16,728 8,165 8,563 6,489 5,295 3,597 1,347
2017 Jan. 2017 Dec. 16,757 8,144 8,613 6,583 5,331 3,590 1,253
2016 Oct. 2017 Sept. 16,714 8,103 8,611 6,608 5,361 3,569 1,176
2016 July 2017 June 16,660 8,079 8,581 6,589 5,381 3,580 1,110
2016 April 2017 March 16,492 8,021 8,471 6,509 5,342 3,566 1,075
2016 Jan. 2016 Dec. 16,228 7,818 8,410 6,416 5,245 3,527 1,040
2015 Oct. 2016 Sept. 16,272 7,835 8,437 6,452 5,232 3,548 1,040
2015 July 2016 June 15,973 7,704 8,269 6,266 5,125 3,536 1,046
2015 April 2016 March 15,743 7,615 8,128 6,186 4,976 3,552 1,029
2015 Jan. 2015 Dec. 15,546 7,523 8,023 6,116 4,908 3,547 975
2014 Oct. 2015 Sept. 15,558 7,493 8,065 6,101 4,955 3,542 960
2014 July 2015 June 15,378 7,416 7,962 5,952 4,861 3,615 950
2014 April 2015 March 15,208 7,352 7,856 5,861 4,779 3,592 976
2014 Jan. 2014 Dec. 14,911 7,191 7,720 5,788 4,622 3,535 966
2013 Oct. 2014 Sept. 14,919 7,197 7,722 5,847 4,599 3,522 951
2013 July 2014 June 14,713 7,119 7,594 5,770 4,490 3,488 965
2013 April 2014 March 14,372 6,962 7,410 5,612 4,381 3,415 964
2013 Jan. 2013 Dec. 14,188 6,918 7,270 5,555 4,288 3,378 967
2012 Oct. 2013 Sept. 14,012 6,811 7,201 5,574 4,182 3,298 958
2012 July 2013 June 13,712 6,648 7,064 5,388 4,095 3,239 990
2012 April 2013 March 13,753 6,723 7,030 5,385 4,094 3,223 1,051
2012 Jan. 2012 Dec. 13,593 6,672 6,921 5,349 3,964 3,225 1,055
2011 Oct. 2012 Sept. 13,811 6,764 7,047 5,444 4,045 3,258 1,064
2011 July 2012 June 13,879 6,771 7,108 5,423 4,069 3,280 1,107
2011 April 2012 March 14,022 6,844 7,178 5,506 4,054 3,358 1,104
2011 Jan. 2011 Dec. 13,898 6,748 7,150 5,409 4,005 3,393 1,091
2010 Oct. 2011 Sept. 14,112 6,854 7,258 5,490 4,055 3,470 1,097
2010 July 2011 June 14,299 6,947 7,352 5,482 4,163 3,533 1,121
2010 April 2011 March 14,165 6,893 7,272 5,377 4,095 3,544 1,149
2010 Jan. 2010 Dec. 14,127 6,873 7,254 5,369 4,079 3,523 1,156
2009 Oct. 2010 Sept. 14,355 7,027 7,328 5,449 4,145 3,601 1,160
2009 July 2010 June 14,568 7,099 7,469 5,452 4,259 3,694 1,163
2009 April 2010 March 14,573 7,151 7,422 5,430 4,225 3,755 1,163
2009 Jan. 2009 Dec. 14,696 7,198 7,498 5,436 4,250 3,855 1,155
2008 Oct. 2009 Sept. 15,125 7,378 7,747 5,588 4,414 4,011 1,112
2008 July 2009 June 15,336 7,523 7,813 5,684 4,488 4,049 1,115
2008 April 2009 March 15,564 7,645 7,919 5,724 4,566 4,138 1,136
2008 Jan. 2008 Dec. 15,808 7,729 8,078 5,776 4,679 4,228 1,125
2007 Oct. 2008 Sept. 16,146 7,906 8,239 5,932 4,810 4,289 1,115
2007 July 2008 June 16,558 8,178 8,379 6,070 4,928 4,470 1,090
2007 April 2008 March 16,681 8,216 8,464 6,104 4,898 4,591 1,088
2007 Jan. 2007 Dec. 16,926 8,332 8,593 6,248 4,971 4,630 1,077
2006 Oct. 2007 Sept. 17,235 8,484 8,750 6,420 5,010 4,728 1,077
2006 July 2007 June 17,392 8,541 8,850 6,400 5,060 4,839 1,093
2006 April 2007 March 17,299 8,484 8,814 6,308 5,034 4,849 1,108
2006 Jan. 2006 Dec. 17,277 8,505 8,771 6,281 5,052 4,875 1,069
2005 Oct. 2006 Sept. 17,321 8,539 8,781 6,307 5,055 4,909 1,050
2005 July 2006 June 17,267 8,551 8,715 6,233 5,040 4,963 1,031
2005 April 2006 March 17,099 8,444 8,654 6,180 4,939 4,948 1,032
2005 Jan. 2005 Dec. 16,913 8,392 8,520 6,029 4,918 4,958 1,008
2004 Oct. 2005 Sept. 16,865 8,409 8,455 6,029 4,898 4,966 972
2004 July 2005 June 16,608 8,255 8,353 5,843 4,804 4,997 964
2004 April 2005 March 16,413 8,116 8,297 5,769 4,714 4,972 958
2004 Jan. 2004 Dec. 16,105 7,954 8,151 5,654 4,621 4,898 932
2003 Oct. 2004 Sept. 16,010 7,917 8,093 5,597 4,699 4,806 908
2003 July 2004 June 15,816 7,803 8,013 5,498 4,675 4,758 885
2003 April 2004 March 15,610 7,745 7,865 5,347 4,676 4,715 872
2003 Jan. 2003 Dec. 15,434 7,621 7,813 5,267 4,688 4,598 881
2002 Oct. 2003 Sept. 15,381 7,615 7,766 5,162 4,738 4,620 861
2002 July 2003 June 15,430 7,608 7,822 5,132 4,869 4,580 849
2002 April 2003 March 15,548 7,667 7,881 5,111 5,021 4,564 852
2002 Jan. 2002 Dec. 15,628 7,709 7,919 5,113 5,053 4,637 825
2001 Oct. 2002 Sept. 15,648 7,692 7,956 5,104 5,092 4,686 766
2001 July 2002 June 15,597 7,654 7,943 5,007 5,165 4,681 744
2001 April 2002 March 15,532 7,612 7,920 4,925 5,197 4,635 775
2001 Jan. 2001 Dec. 15,710 7,664 8,046 4,945 5,314 4,669 782
2000 Oct. 2001 Sept. 15,943 7,760 8,183 4,991 5,481 4,705 766
2000 July 2001 June 16,027 7,786 8,241 4,974 5,563 4,728 762
2000 April 2001 March 16,090 7,775 8,315 4,925 5,603 4,770 792
2000 Jan. 2000 Dec. 16,148 7,788 8,360 4,922 5,707 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