Average length of time spent in foster care
A long time in a temporary placement
HIGHER than the national average
4th HIGHEST compared to the most populated states
HIGHER than the poorest states
3rd HIGHEST among the wealthiest states
2nd HIGHEST among New England states
INCREASING in recent years
Data Sources: Child Trends FFY2019 & MA DCF Annual Report FY2020
State rankings for most populated, wealthiest, and poorest (both by median income) from World Population Review
Percent of Children in Foster Care 5+ Years
A lifetime for a child…
HIGHER than the national average
8th HIGHEST compared to the most populated states
HIGHER than the poorest states
2nd HIGHEST among the wealthiest states
2nd HIGHEST among New England states
INCREASING in recent years
Data Sources: Child Trends FFY2019 & MA DCF Annual Report FY2020
State rankings for most populated, wealthiest, and poorest (both by median income) from World Population Review
Percent of Children with 4+ Foster Care Placements
Multiple placements have major negative impacts on child well-being1
MA has the worst performance of all states in comparisons on this critical measure. Why aren’t we hearing more about this?
HIGHER than the national average
HIGHER compared to the most populated states
HIGHER than the poorest states
HIGHER than the wealthiest states
HIGHEST among New England states
INCREASING in recent years
Data Sources: Child Trends FFY2019 & MA DCF Annual Report FY2020
State rankings for most populated, wealthiest, and poorest (both by median income) from World Population Review
1 Children’s Rights
Percent of Children Placed in Group Care
Is group care appropriate for all of these children? Are there not enough less-restrictive options or services to keep kids at home?
HIGHER than the national average
HIGHEST compared to the most populated states
HIGHER than the poorest states
HIGHER than the wealthiest states
2nd HIGHEST among New England states
NO CHANGE in recent years
Data Sources: Child Trends FFY2019 & MA DCF Annual Report FY2020
State rankings for most populated, wealthiest, and poorest (both by median income) from World Population Review
Percent of Children Adopted By Relatives
Why is MA performing so poorly when DCF has been focused on kin placements?2
FAR BELOW the national average
LOWER than the most populated states
LOWER than the poorest states
LOWER than the wealthiest states
LOWEST among New England states
NO CHANGE since 2015
Data Sources: Child Trends FFY2019 & MA DCF Annual Report FY2020
State rankings for most populated, wealthiest, and poorest (both by median income) from World Population Review
2 DCF FY2020 Annual Report
Length of Stay in Foster Care Before Adoption
A significant part of a child’s life without a permanent family
LONGER than the national average
3rd LONGEST compared to the most populated states
LONGER than the poorest states
LONGER than the wealthiest states
LONGEST among the New England states
INCREASING in recent years
Data Sources: Child Trends FFY2019 & MA DCF Annual Report FY2020
State rankings for most populated, wealthiest, and poorest (both by median income) from World Population Review
Percent of Youth Exiting Foster Care to Emancipation3
Aging out of care without permanence has lifelong consequences4
HIGHER than the national average
2nd HIGHEST compared to the most populated states
HIGHER than the poorest states
3rd HIGHEST among the wealthiest states
2nd HIGHEST among New England states
Consistently HIGHER than the national average
Data Sources: Child Trends FFY2019 & MA DCF Annual Report FY2020
State rankings for most populated, wealthiest, and poorest (both by median income) from World Population Review
3 In child welfare emancipation means aging out at age 22, or before, and often after years of trauma, with no “forever” family.
4 Think of Us “Away from Home" Report