Child Trends recently released three sets of child welfare fact sheets detailing child maltreatment, foster care, and adoption statistics from the United States for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2013. Each set of 52 fact sheets uses state and national data to tell a story about the U.S.'s most vulnerable children and youth, a story that varies dramatically by state.
In FFY 2013, over 3 million children were the subjects of an investigation or assessment for abuse or neglect, and over 675,000 children were found to be victims of maltreatment. Nationally, neglect is the most common substantiated form of child maltreatment. Having state and national child welfare data allows for comparisons and identifying trends that might otherwise be missed. For example, the adoption fact sheets show clear age disparities between children who have been adopted and those left waiting. Children aged 13 and up account for only 10% of children adopted, and are 21% of children waiting.
To learn more, view the fact sheet for each state to learn more about child maltreatment, foster care, and adoption in each state.