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.
| 1.56 Billion | FY22 Budget |
| 20,446 | Number of children and youth, age 0-21, in DCFS custody on 1/31/2023 |
| 200,607 | Hotline calls in FY21 |
| 86,738 | DCFS investigations conducted in FY21 |
| 146,125 | Child victims associated with investigations of abuse or neglect in FY21 |
| 6,814 | Number of children who entered foster care in FY21 |
| 4,163 | Number of families being served on 6/30/2021 in the preservation program keeping kids at home |
| 2,863 | DCFS employees FY21 end-of-year |
| 5,413 | Achieved permanency in FY21. The reunification rate was 20.0%; 9.7% for adoption; and 2.1% for guardianship. |
| 1627 | Youth in Care between the ages of 18-21. |
| 122 | Despite contact with DCFS, 122 Illinois children died in 2021 of abuse and neglect according to the Inspector General's Report. |
Sources: The Illinois Department of Children & Family Services Budget Briefing FY23, 2022 Inspector General Report, and the DCFS Demographic Information of Children in Foster/Relative/Institution/Group Home Care, Data as of December 31, 2021 and https://www2.illinois.gov/dcfs/aboutus/newsandreports/reports/Pages/default.aspx
