Illinois Child Welfare Statistics at a Glance
The Illinois Department of Children & Family Services believes that no child should grow up in foster care. We agree. We must work together to lift Illinois out of last place in the nation for achieving timely permanency, while keeping the safety of our children in the forefront of everything that we do. Your support will help to change these FY21 statistics about Illinois’ children.
| 2.36 Billion | FY25 Budget |
| 17,090 | Number of children and youth, age 0-21, in DCFS custody on 7/31/2025 |
| 234,527 | Hotline calls in FY24 |
| 96,254 | DCFS investigations conducted in FY24 |
| 146,125 | Child victims associated with investigations of abuse or neglect in FY21 |
| 5,276 | Number of children who entered foster care in FY24 |
| 4,034 | Number of families being served on 6/30/2024 in the preservation program keeping kids at home |
| 3,637 | DCFS employees FY24 end-of-year |
| 5,374 | Achieved permanency in FY24. The reunification rate was 18.4%; 9.9% for adoption; and 3.4% for guardianship. |
| 2,365 | Youth in Care between the ages of 18-21 in FY24 |
| 168 | Despite contact with DCFS, 122 Illinois children died in 2024 of abuse and neglect according to the Inspector General's Report. 5 of them with open/active cases. |
