Kids in Families ~ Families in Communities

All children have the right to live in a healthy family. AFS services uphold a commitment to building sustainable relationships surrounding children and youths in and out of foster care through five distinct, accredited areas of service:


California Children in Foster Care

The number of children in the state’s foster care system declined from nearly 110,000 in 1999 to about 62,000 ten years later. The decrease is not due to less child abuse and neglect, but rather how the state now aggressively pursues permanence through adoptions, guardianships and family reunification instead of placing children into or allowing children to remain in foster care.


AFS Foster Care Statistics for FY 2009 – 2010
 
  • 1,401 approximate number of foster children and youth who received AFS foster services
  • 51 foster youth were served in intensive treatment foster care
  • 21 foster children had some form of disability
  • 425 certified families were available to care for children and youth
  • 79% of AFS foster children and youth reunified with families

CA Foster Statistics Compared to National Statistics
CALIFORNIA STATISTICS
as of 07/01/2008
  NATIONAL STATISTICS
as of 09/30/2008
Children in Foster Care 65,404   Children in Foster Care 463,000
Entered Foster Care in 2008 36,162   Entered Foster Care in 2008 273,000
Exited Foster Care in 2008 40,347   Exited Foster Care in 2008 285,000
A California Department of Social Services / University of California at Berkeley collaboration http://cssr.berkeley.edu/ucb_childwelfare/
 
U.S. Dpt of HHS, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb