Thousands of children in North Carolina do not have permanent homes. These children are in the custody of a county's Department of Social Services because of abuse, neglect, or because their parents voluntarily placed them for adoption.

How many children are available for adoption?   
Approximately, one third of the children in foster care will be adopted. Court action to terminate parental rights is necessary before they are available for adoption. Of those who are legally free, many are in various stages of being adopted. There are several hundred children in foster care who are currently available for adoption and do not have a family already chosen.

How many North Carolina foster children were adopted last year?    1,662

What ages of children are available?
Children of all ages need adoptive homes. Fifty-six percent are five and under (few are infants), another 34 percent are between six and twelve years, and 10 percent are between 13 and 18 years. Many of them are siblings and need to be placed together.

What kind of special needs do children have?
Most foster children have special needs simply because they have undergone the trauma of abuse, neglect and separation from their birth families. Some have physical disabilities and medical problems. Many children need to be placed with a sibling or siblings.