• The average length of stay for a Missouri child in foster care is 2 years.
• There are over 68,000 reported incidents of neglect in Missouri last year.
• 19,400 children are in the care of Missouri Children’s Division right now.
• Children in foster care have an average of 3 placements.
• The average age of a foster child is 8-years old.
• Children over the age of 9 are 50% less likely to be adopted than younger children.
• Over 500 kids aged out of the foster care system in Missouri last year without a permanent, legal family.
• More than 7,000 kids enter the Missouri foster care system each year.
• 6,600 kids exit the Missouri foster care system annually by returning home, guardianship or adoption.
• Approximately 1,300 foster care adoptions were finalized in Missouri last year.

All data can be found in the 2015 Missouri Children’s Division Annual Report. For additional data, click here.

The post Missouri Foster Care Facts & Figures first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.