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Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS)
HealthData.Gov
Updated Oct 29, 2026
About this dataset
The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) is a federally mandated data collection system intended to provide case specific information on all children covered by the protections of Title IV-B/E of the Social Security Act (Section 427). Under the Final 1993 AFCARS’ rule, states are required to collect and submit data on all children who are under the responsiblity of the title IV-B/IV-E agency for placement, care, or supervision.
<b>Units of Response: </b>Children in Foster Care
<b>Type of Data: </b>Administrative
<b>Tribal Data: </b>Unavailable
<b>Periodicity: </b>Semiannual
<b>Demographic Indicators: </b>Disability;Geographic Areas;Sex
<b>Data Use Agreement: </b>https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/datasets/order_forms/termsofuseagreement.pdf
<b>Data Use Agreement Location: </b>https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/datasets/order_forms/termsofuseagreement.pdf
<b>Granularity: </b>Individual
<b>Spatial: </b>United States
<b>Geocoding: </b>FIPS Code
Data and resources (16)
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AFCARS Foster Care File, 6-month periods (FY2010A - 2016B)
The AFCARS Foster Care File, 6-month periods (FY2016A - 2021A) contain 96 variables (73 original variables and 23 NDACAN-derived variables). Temporal: 2010-2016, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: ASCII, DELIMITED, R, SAS, SPSS, STATA
Modified Oct 29, 2026
- HTML
AFCARS Foster Care File, 6-month periods (FY2010A - 2016B)
The AFCARS Foster Care File, 6-month periods (FY2016A - 2021A) contain 96 variables (73 original variables and 23 NDACAN-derived variables). Temporal: 2010-2016, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: ASCII, DELIMITED, R, SAS, SPSS, STATA
Modified Oct 29, 2026
- HTML
Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), Adoption File 2016
The Adoption File 2016 contains 37 elements that provide information on the adopted child’s race, birth date, ethnicity and prior relationship with the adoptive parents. The date the adoption was finalized, as well as dates parental rights were terminated, characteristics of birth and adoptive…
Modified Oct 29, 2026
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Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), Adoption File 2016
The Adoption File 2016 contains 37 elements that provide information on the adopted child’s race, birth date, ethnicity and prior relationship with the adoptive parents. The date the adoption was finalized, as well as dates parental rights were terminated, characteristics of birth and adoptive…
Modified Aug 13, 2026
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Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), Adoption File 2017
The Adoption File 2017 contains 37 elements that provide information on the adopted child’s race, birth date, ethnicity and prior relationship with the adoptive parents. The date the adoption was finalized, as well as dates parental rights were terminated, characteristics of birth and adoptive…
Modified Oct 29, 2026
- HTML
Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), Adoption File 2017
The Adoption File 2017 contains 37 elements that provide information on the adopted child’s race, birth date, ethnicity and prior relationship with the adoptive parents. The date the adoption was finalized, as well as dates parental rights were terminated, characteristics of birth and adoptive…
Modified Aug 13, 2026
- HTML
Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), Adoption File 2020
The Adoption File 2020 contains 37 elements that provide information on the adopted child’s race, birth date, ethnicity and prior relationship with the adoptive parents. The date the adoption was finalized, as well as dates parental rights were terminated, characteristics of birth and adoptive…
Modified Oct 29, 2026
- HTML
Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), Adoption File 2020
The Adoption File 2020 contains 37 elements that provide information on the adopted child’s race, birth date, ethnicity and prior relationship with the adoptive parents. The date the adoption was finalized, as well as dates parental rights were terminated, characteristics of birth and adoptive…
Modified Aug 13, 2026
- HTML
AFCARS Foster Care File, 6-month periods (FY2016A - 2021A)
The AFCARS Foster Care File, 6-month periods (FY2016A - 2021A) contain 96 variables (73 original variables and 23 NDACAN-derived variables). Temporal: 2016-2021, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: ASCII, DELIMITED, R, SAS, SPSS, STATA
Modified Oct 29, 2026
- HTML
AFCARS Foster Care File, 6-month periods (FY2016A - 2021A)
The AFCARS Foster Care File, 6-month periods (FY2016A - 2021A) contain 96 variables (73 original variables and 23 NDACAN-derived variables). Temporal: 2016-2021, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: ASCII, DELIMITED, R, SAS, SPSS, STATA
Modified Oct 29, 2026
- HTML
Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), Adoption File 2019
The Adoption File 2019 contains 37 elements that provide information on the adopted child’s race, birth date, ethnicity and prior relationship with the adoptive parents. The date the adoption was finalized, as well as dates parental rights were terminated, characteristics of birth and adoptive…
Modified Oct 29, 2026
- HTML
Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), Adoption File 2019
The Adoption File 2019 contains 37 elements that provide information on the adopted child’s race, birth date, ethnicity and prior relationship with the adoptive parents. The date the adoption was finalized, as well as dates parental rights were terminated, characteristics of birth and adoptive…
Modified Aug 13, 2026
- HTML
Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), Adoption File 2018
The Adoption File 2018 contains 37 elements that provide information on the adopted child’s race, birth date, ethnicity and prior relationship with the adoptive parents. The date the adoption was finalized, as well as dates parental rights were terminated, characteristics of birth and adoptive…
Modified Oct 29, 2026
- HTML
Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), Adoption File 2018
The Adoption File 2018 contains 37 elements that provide information on the adopted child’s race, birth date, ethnicity and prior relationship with the adoptive parents. The date the adoption was finalized, as well as dates parental rights were terminated, characteristics of birth and adoptive…
Modified Aug 13, 2026
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Trends in Foster Care & Adoption: FY 2011- 2020 National Dataset
This data file includes national estimates related to children who experience time in foster care and who are adopted from the foster care system, relative to each Federal Fiscal Year shown. Temporal: 2011-2020, Restriction: Public-use Aggregate, Formats: EXCEL
Modified Aug 13, 2026
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Trends in Foster Care & Adoption: FY 2011- 2020 State Data Tables
This data file includes state estimates related to children who experience time in foster care and who are adopted from the foster care system, relative to each Federal Fiscal Year shown. Temporal: 2011-2020, Restriction: Public-use Aggregate, Formats: EXCEL
Modified Aug 13, 2026