federal data

The number of youth in America's foster care systems dropped below 400,000 for the first time since 2012 according to new federal data

This week, The Imprint released a report on foster care capacity nationwide, which included a projection that the overall number of U.S. foster kids is continuing to go up. Based on foster care totals from the 30 states that provided information, we project that the total number of children in foster care in 2017 is roughly 443,000, 3 percent more than the 2015 federal count, the last year such data was made available.

The number of children and youth in foster care has risen for the third consecutive year, according to recently released federal data. Reading below the top line, though, Youth Services Insider sees one figure that suggests that we could see a course correction soon.

As we’ve covered in recent days, the Justice Department has formally proposed new rules for compliance monitoring related to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). Chief among the changes these rules would usher in are a shift from what’s called “de minimis” standards to “substantial compliance.”