Washington, D.C. New Public Scorecard-style Dashboard Lets Families Compare Foster Care Outcomes by State

Washington — The Administration for Children and Families, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, says it has launched a new public dashboard that shows state-by-state performance on key child welfare measures—data meant to help families, advocates, and policymakers track whether children in foster care are safe and reaching stable, permanent living situations.

The agency announced January 26, 2026, that the tool is the first public Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) Data Profile Dashboard and is designed to make state results easier to see and compare. ACF framed the move as part of the Trump administration’s push for an annual public scorecard under the “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families” executive order.

ACF said the initial dashboard includes seven statewide indicators—two safety measures focused on protection from abuse and neglect after a child enters the system, and five permanency measures that track stability and whether children reach lasting living arrangements. The indicators use standardized methods intended to support fair comparisons across states with different demographics and case factors.

“Good data drives better decisions for America’s children,” Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams said in announcing the dashboard, calling it a step toward greater transparency and more data-driven decision-making.

For families, the dashboard can be a starting point for questions—especially for foster and kinship caregivers navigating placements, services, and court timelines. Parents can look up how their state performs on safety and permanency measures and ask local agencies what improvement steps are underway.

ACF said the dashboard will be updated twice a year, with some measures updated more often as states enter improvement planning processes.

This article was produced by a education parenting today journalist with the assistance of Ai. This is not legal advice. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.