10,497 Massachusetts children were in foster care at the end of 2007

1,130 foster children (10.8%) were between ages of 0 and 1; Nationally: 13%
1,700 foster children (16.2%) were between ages of 2 and 5; Nationally: 21.2%
2,594 foster children (24.7%) were between ages of 6 and 12; Nationally: 27.3%
5,073 foster children (48.3%) were between ages of 13 and 21; Nationally: 38.5%
Massachusetts children spent an average of 28 months in foster care; Nationally: 27.5 months
1,146 children (11%) were in foster care for more than five years; Nationally: 12%
1,934 children (18%) were living with relatives in foster care; Nationally: 25%

Massachusetts' foster care caseload by race/ethnicity in 2007

1,684 children in foster care (16.0%) were non-Hispanic black; Nationally: 31.6%
5,068 children in foster care (48.3%) were non-Hispanic white; Nationally: 40.5%
15 children in foster care (0.1%) were American Indian/Alaskan Natives; Nationally: 1.9%
157 children in foster care (1.5%) were Asian; Nationally: 0.6%
6 children in foster care (0.1%) were Hawaiian; Nationally: .2%
430 children in foster care (4.1%) were multiple races or ethnicities; Nationally: 4.3%
2,732 children in foster care (26.0%) were Hispanic (any race); Nationally: 18.5%
405 children in foster care (3.9%) were denoted Other; Nationally: 2.4%

Number of different placements in which a foster child lived in Massachusetts

2,731 children in foster care (26.0%) experienced just 1 placement; Nationally: 34%
2,342 children in foster care (22.3%) experienced 2 placements; Nationally: 24%
1,504 children in foster care (14.3%) experienced 3 placements; Nationally: 14%
3,917 children in foster care (37.3%) experienced 4 or more placements; Nationally: 27%

2,868 Massachusetts children were waiting for adoption in 2007

470 foster children (16%) were waiting to be adopted between ages of 0 and 1; Nationally: 13%
860 foster children (30%) were between ages of 2 and 5; Nationally: 29%
1,088 foster children (38%) were between ages of 6 and 12; Nationally: 35%
450 foster children (16%) were between ages of 13 and 17; Nationally: 23%

Where did Massachusetts' children go after leaving foster care in 2007?

6,202 children in Massachusetts exited foster care in 2007
3,387 children (55%) were returned to their parents; Nationally: 52%
814 children (13%) were adopted; Nationally: 18%
770 children (12%) left to live with relatives or via guardianships; Nationally: 15%
1,150 children (19%) "aged out" of foster care at 18 or older; Nationally: 10%
405 children (1%) left for other reasons (ran away, transferred, died); Nationally 5%

Massachusetts IV-E foster care payments and expenditures

3,474 children in Massachusetts child welfare system are eligible for Title IV-E federal foster care reimbursement with an average monthly payment of $2,142 per child.
Title IV-E Foster Care expenditures 2006: $64,911,920
Title IV-E Adoption expenditures 2006: $29,341,076
For more information about your state's child welfare financing, please visit the State Child Welfare Policy Database at www.childwelfarepolicy.org.
*Except for the expenditure data, this information is from federal AFCARS data, 2007