In this case, if you were to ask how many children go without getting adopted, the answer may surprise you. Although it is difficult to quantify, roughly 20,000 children “age out” of foster care each year. This means they are now legally adults without ever finding a family through adoption.

The older a child is, the more difficult it is for them to be adopted. The average age of a child in foster care is 7.7 years. While babies are often adopted very quickly, the adoption rates of children over 8 decrease significantly. When a child reaches their teens, the rate drops even more.

Following are our responses to some of the questions that are frequently asked about the children in foster care. How many children are awaiting adoption in the United States? Of the 400,000 children in foster care, approximately 117,000 are waiting to be adopted.