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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. 15,748 7,813 7,935 5,513 4,722 3,839 1,674
2024 Oct. 15,870 7,906 7,964 5,622 4,758 3,827 1,663
2024 July 16,015 8,018 7,997 5,718 4,720 3,940 1,637
2024 April 15,906 7,950 7,956 5,695 4,709 3,837 1,665
2024 Jan. 15,878 7,933 7,945 5,702 4,650 3,829 1,697
2023 Oct. 16,006 8,031 7,975 5,794 4,699 3,805 1,708
2023 July 16,003 8,015 7,988 5,760 4,740 3,809 1,694
2023 April 15,969 8,011 7,958 5,804 4,689 3,798 1,678
2023 Jan. 16,006 8,050 7,956 5,833 4,744 3,774 1,655
2022 Oct. 16,192 8,131 8,061 5,899 4,818 3,822 1,653
2022 July 16,175 8,107 8,068 5,858 4,815 3,839 1,663
2022 April 16,248 8,179 8,069 5,886 4,847 3,879 1,636
2022 Jan. 16,095 8,110 7,985 5,862 4,800 3,804 1,629
2021 Oct. 16,251 8,190 8,061 5,881 4,887 3,780 1,703
2021 July 16,442 8,296 8,146 5,927 4,884 3,732 1,899
2021 April 16,479 8,334 8,145 5,974 4,947 3,723 1,835
2021 Jan. 16,443 8,300 8,143 6,005 4,960 3,688 1,790
2020 Oct. 16,681 8,382 8,299 6,118 5,069 3,742 1,752
2020 July 16,725 8,390 8,335 6,112 5,155 3,763 1,695
2020 April 16,516 8,260 8,256 6,072 5,092 3,679 1,673
2020 Jan. 16,569 8,315 8,254 6,120 5,143 3,646 1,660
2019 Oct. 16,744 8,410 8,333 6,225 5,216 3,653 1,650
2019 July 16,912 8,461 8,450 6,310 5,316 3,644 1,642
2019 April 17,208 8,587 8,620 6,444 5,408 3,724 1,632
2019 Jan. 17,029 8,470 8,557 6,381 5,364 3,653 1,631
2018 Oct. 17,166 8,511 8,653 6,499 5,446 3,636 1,585
2018 July 17,073 8,460 8,611 6,563 5,378 3,578 1,554
2018 April 16,891 8,378 8,511 6,466 5,362 3,503 1,560
2018 Jan. 16,812 8,274 8,538 6,445 5,348 3,488 1,531
2017 Oct. 16,949 8,339 8,610 6,567 5,391 3,505 1,486
2017 July 16,864 8,235 8,629 6,532 5,310 3,612 1,410
2017 April 16,728 8,162 8,566 6,488 5,292 3,603 1,345
2017 Jan. 16,757 8,145 8,612 6,582 5,328 3,596 1,251
2016 Oct. 16,714 8,102 8,612 6,606 5,363 3,571 1,174
2016 July 16,660 8,076 8,584 6,589 5,381 3,581 1,109
2016 April 16,492 8,015 8,477 6,506 5,345 3,567 1,074
2016 Jan. 16,228 7,811 8,417 6,414 5,247 3,528 1,039
2015 Oct. 16,272 7,824 8,448 6,451 5,235 3,547 1,039
2015 July 15,973 7,693 8,280 6,265 5,128 3,535 1,045
2015 April 15,743 7,609 8,134 6,185 4,979 3,551 1,028
2015 Jan. 15,546 7,515 8,031 6,117 4,908 3,547 974
2014 Oct. 15,558 7,486 8,072 6,101 4,955 3,543 959
2014 July 15,378 7,416 7,962 5,952 4,860 3,616 950
2014 April 15,208 7,356 7,852 5,860 4,779 3,593 976
2014 Jan. 14,911 7,196 7,715 5,787 4,622 3,535 967
2013 Oct. 14,919 7,206 7,713 5,847 4,599 3,521 952
2013 July 14,713 7,124 7,589 5,769 4,490 3,488 966
2013 April 14,372 6,965 7,407 5,612 4,381 3,415 964
2013 Jan. 14,188 6,923 7,265 5,556 4,287 3,378 967
2012 Oct. 14,012 6,813 7,199 5,574 4,182 3,298 958
2012 July 13,712 6,649 7,063 5,388 4,096 3,238 990
2012 April 13,753 6,728 7,025 5,386 4,094 3,222 1,051
2012 Jan. 13,593 6,678 6,915 5,351 3,962 3,225 1,055
2011 Oct. 13,811 6,771 7,040 5,446 4,043 3,258 1,064
2011 July 13,879 6,780 7,099 5,425 4,067 3,281 1,106
2011 April 14,022 6,854 7,168 5,507 4,054 3,358 1,103
2011 Jan. 13,898 6,753 7,145 5,410 4,005 3,393 1,090
2010 Oct. 14,112 6,856 7,256 5,492 4,054 3,470 1,096
2010 July 14,299 6,951 7,348 5,484 4,162 3,533 1,120
2010 April 14,165 6,895 7,270 5,379 4,094 3,544 1,148
2010 Jan. 14,127 6,871 7,256 5,370 4,079 3,524 1,154
2009 Oct. 14,355 7,021 7,334 5,450 4,145 3,603 1,157
2009 July 14,568 7,089 7,479 5,453 4,259 3,696 1,160
2009 April 14,573 7,139 7,434 5,431 4,225 3,757 1,160
2009 Jan. 14,696 7,186 7,510 5,437 4,250 3,856 1,153
2008 Oct. 15,125 7,363 7,762 5,590 4,413 4,011 1,111
2008 July 15,336 7,507 7,829 5,687 4,487 4,049 1,113
2008 April 15,564 7,633 7,931 5,729 4,563 4,139 1,133
2008 Jan. 15,808 7,718 8,089 5,779 4,678 4,229 1,122
2007 Oct. 16,146 7,895 8,250 5,936 4,808 4,290 1,112
2007 July 16,558 8,164 8,393 6,073 4,928 4,471 1,086
2007 April 16,681 8,207 8,473 6,107 4,898 4,592 1,084
2007 Jan. 16,926 8,321 8,604 6,250 4,970 4,632 1,074
2006 Oct. 17,235 8,477 8,757 6,422 5,009 4,729 1,075
2006 July 17,392 8,535 8,856 6,402 5,059 4,840 1,091
2006 April 17,299 8,480 8,818 6,310 5,034 4,849 1,106
2006 Jan. 17,277 8,500 8,776 6,282 5,053 4,875 1,067
2005 Oct. 17,321 8,536 8,784 6,308 5,056 4,909 1,048
2005 July 17,267 8,548 8,718 6,233 5,041 4,963 1,030
2005 April 17,099 8,439 8,659 6,180 4,940 4,948 1,031
2005 Jan. 16,913 8,392 8,520 6,029 4,918 4,958 1,008
2004 Oct. 16,865 8,413 8,451 6,029 4,899 4,965 972
2004 July 16,608 8,258 8,350 5,842 4,806 4,996 964
2004 April 16,413 8,116 8,297 5,770 4,714 4,971 958
2004 Jan. 16,105 7,955 8,150 5,655 4,621 4,897 932
2003 Oct. 16,010 7,918 8,092 5,598 4,699 4,805 908
2003 July 15,816 7,803 8,013 5,499 4,675 4,757 885
2003 April 15,610 7,748 7,862 5,348 4,676 4,714 872
2003 Jan. 15,434 7,624 7,810 5,268 4,688 4,597 881
2002 Oct. 15,381 7,617 7,764 5,163 4,738 4,619 861
2002 July 15,430 7,610 7,820 5,133 4,869 4,579 849
2002 April 15,548 7,669 7,879 5,112 5,021 4,563 852
2002 Jan. 15,628 7,711 7,917 5,114 5,053 4,636 825
2001 Oct. 15,648 7,693 7,955 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 7,788 8,360 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