Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, nurturing and stable environment. Unfortunately, there are some families who struggle to provide the security and positive childhood experiences their kids need.
The Department of Family Services' Foster Care and Adoption Program offers children a temporary home with loving, dedicated foster parents until they can return to their families or go to permanent homes. The healthy relationships and environments foster parents provide are a buffer against adverse experiences and ensure the long-term physical and emotional well-being of children.
Fairfax County Foster Care Statistics Updated May 2024
If you are interested in foster care, here are some statistics that you might want to consider. Numbers may not equal 100% due to rounding in some cases.
There are more than 5,000 children in foster care in Virginia. (VDSS).
At any time, there are approximately 200 children in foster care in Fairfax County. On April 30, 2024. there were approximately 220 children and youth in foster care.
100 children and youth entered Fairfax County foster care in FY 2023.
Of the children and youth in foster care in Fairfax, 55% are girls and 45% are boys.
Ages of Children and Youth in Fairfax County Foster Care:
- 35% are age 5 and under
- 22% are age 6-13 years
- 23% are 14-17 years
- 20% are 18-20 years
Children and Youth in care in each Racial Group:
- 37% are African American
- 15% are Multi-Racial
- 43% are Caucasian
- 5% fall into other groups
Ethnicity of Children in care
- 44% are Hispanic
- 49% are Non-Hispanic
- 7% unknown
Types of Foster Placements for Children:
- 63% of children in Foster Care in Fairfax County are in foster homes
- 16% are in Independent Living
- 11% are in congregate care
- 8% are in relative foster homes
- 2% are in trial home visits
There are approximately 120 active foster families certified through Fairfax County.
The median stay in Fairfax County foster care was 1.96 years. 76 children left foster care in Fairfax County in FY 2023:
- 29% of Fairfax County children in foster care returned to their birth family
- 47% of children were adopted
- 1% were permanently placed with relatives
- 21% of children aged out without a permanent home at 21
- 1% exited in other ways
Download the PDF version of this information.*
*Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. To request reasonable accommodations or to receive this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-7500 or TTY 703-222-9452.
Learn about the Department of Family Services Foster Care & Adoption Program.