Fewer U.S. children in system; first drop since 2012

children in foster care as of Sept. fiscal year, up from 59,500 in 30, 2018, down from about 2017.

441,000 a year earlier. However, the number of chilNEW YORK» The number of The peak was 524,000 children in foster care waiting to be children in the U.S. foster-care dren in foster care in 2002. The adopted also increased, rising system has dropped for the first number dropped steadily to from 123,754 to 125,400. time since 2012, stemming a about 396,000 in 2012 before rising HHS officials said they were surge that was linked to substance again as the opioid epidemic encouraged by the slight deabuse by parents, according and other forms of drug abuse crease in the number of children to new federal data released began to worsen across the U.S. in foster care. They credited the on Thursday. The new data also showed expansion of prevention programs

The annual report from the that a record 63,100 children aimed at supporting families Department of Health and Human were adopted out of the U.S. before a need arises to remove HUGE Services counted 437,283 child-welfare system in the 2018 a child from their home.

“We hope to see a continued indication that child-welfare systems are relying less on foster care and serving more children and families in their home and communities,” said Jerry Milner, associate commissioner of HHS’s Children’s Bureau.

The biggest decreases in the foster-care population occurred in Arizona and Indiana, which were among the states where the numbers had soared earlier in this decade.