1. INFANTS IN FOSTER
CARE
BY Julian N. Wren, MSW, Ed.D.

2. Number and Percent of First
Admissions by Age at Entry
Nearly a third of the children entering foster care are under one year old.

3. Gender Distribution
Infants are much more likely (53%) than older children (42%) to be female.

4. Race/ethnicity Distribution
Infants are more likely than older children to be White (51%) or Black (16%).

5. Start Type Distribution
Infants are much more likely (86%) than older children (72%) to experience
foster care as their firs placement type.

6. Predominant Placement Type
Count
Predominant placement type
Congregate Care
Foster Care
Kinship Care
Other Placement
Mixed
Total
Under 1
0
53
17
0
0
70
Over 1
3
169
67
10
2
251
Percent
Under 1
Over 1
0%
1%
76%67%
24%27%
0% 4%
0% 1%
100%100%
Infants are more likely (76%) than older children (67%) to experience
non-relative foster care as their predominant placement type.

7. Does Infant’s length of stay in foster care differ from older children’s
length of stay? (Infants admitted into foster care in 2010)
Table 6: Median Days to Exit from Foster Care

8. Length of Stay Comparison
Children who enter as infants have en equal median length of stay to older children (414). However,
children who enter as infants exit care much slower than older children in the first 400 days. After
that, the rate of exit for infants increases greatly and the exit rate of older children decreases (the
lines cross and the brown line falls below the blue line.

9. Exit Event from Foster Care
Count
Exit Event
Percent
Under 1
Over 1
Under 1
Over 1
Completed Adoption
39
77
56%
31%
Exit to Family
28
127
40%
51%
Exit to Relative
0
7
0%
3%
Runaway
0
8
0%
3%
Reach Majority
0
3
0%
1%
Other
0
2
0%
1%
Still in Care
3
27
4%
11%
Total
70
251
100%
100%
Infants are more likely (58%) than older children (31%) to exit care to adoption.

10. Time to Reunification with Family
(Months)
Count
Time to
Reunification
with Family
Percent
Under 1
Over 1
Under 1
Over 1
Less than 90 Days
8
33
29%
26%
3 to 6 months
1
12
4%
9%
6 to 12 months
11
34
39%
27%
1 to 2 years
8
46
29%
36%
2 to 5 years
0
2
0%
2%
More than 5 years
0
0
0%
0%
Total reunited with
family (percent
is the
percentage of
total selected
spells)
28
127
40%
51%
When infants do reunify with their families, they reunify much faster. Whereas 72% of
the infants reunified went home within 12 months, only 62% of older children who
reunified went home in that period of time.

11. Placement Stability
Placement Stability (#
of movements
within spell)
Under 1
Over 1
Under 1
Over 1
No movement
29
103
41%
41%
One movement
32
100
46%
40%
2 to 3 movements
7
35
10%
14%
4 to 10 movements
2
13
3%
5%
More than 10 movements
0
0
0%
0%
Total
70
251
100%
100%
Infants’ placements are slightly more stable than those of older children. Whereas
87% experience less than 2 movements, 81% of older children experienced less then
2 movements.

12. Re-Entry
Infants are much less likely (5%) than older children (10%) to
experience re-entry into foster care in the 12 months following exit
from foster care.

13. Findings Summary:
1) Nearly a third of the children entering foster care are under
one year old.
2) Infants are much more likely (53%) than older children (42%)
to be female.
3) Infants are more likely than older children to be White (51%) or
Black (16%).
4) Infants are much more likely (86%) than older children (72%)
to experience foster care as their first placement type.
5) Infants are more likely (76%) than older children (67%) to
experience non-relative foster care as their predominant
placement type.

14. Findings Summary: (cont’d)
6) Children who enter as infants have en equal median length of stay to older
children (414). However, children who enter as infants exit care much slower
than older children in the first 400 days. After that, the rate of exit for infants
increases greatly and the exit rate of older children decreases (the lines cross
and the brown line falls below the blue line.
7) Infants are more likely (58%) than older children (31%) to exit care to
adoption.
8) When infants do reunify with their families, they reunify much faster.
Whereas 72% of the infants reunified went home within 12 months, only 62%
of older children who reunified went home in that period of time.
9) Infants’ placements are slightly more stable than those of older children.
Whereas 87% experience less than 2 movements, 81% of older children
experienced less then 2 movements.
10) Infants are much less likely (5%) than older children (10%) to experience
re-entry into foster care in the 12 months following exit from foster care.