It will take time to release children in US custody to sponsors
Discharges lagged during the Trump administration and by the summer of 2020, children remaining in custody had been in HHS care for nearly a year on average. The average length of stay for a child in HHS custody is currently 34 days.
Children in HHS custody each month
Children discharged each month
15K children
June 2019
13,027 children in HHS custody
10K
5K
0
Jan.
2018
July
2018
Jan.
2019
July
2019
Jan.
2020
July
2020
Jan.
2021
Average stay for children still in custody
Average stay for children discharged
350 days in HHS custody
June 2020
The 889 children in HHS custody in June had been in the agency’s care for an average 348 days — nearly a year.
250
150
50
0
Jan.
2018
July
2018
Jan.
2019
July
2019
Jan.
2020
July
2020
Jan.
2021
Number of children in HHS custody each month
Number of children discharged each month
15K children
June 2019
13,027 children in HHS custody
10K
5K
0
July
2018
Jan.
2019
July
2019
Jan.
2020
July
2020
Jan.
2021
Jan.
2018
Average length of stay for children still in HHS custody
Average length of stay for children discharged
350 days in HHS custody
June 2020
The 889 children in HHS custody in June had been in the agency’s care for an average 348 days — nearly a year.
250
150
50
0
Jan.
2018
July
2018
Jan.
2019
July
2019
Jan.
2020
July
2020
Jan.
2021
Number of children in HHS custody each month
Average length of stay for children still in HHS custody
Average length of stay for children discharged
Number of children discharged each month
15K children
350 days in HHS custody
June 2019
13,027 children in HHS custody
June 2020
The 889 children in HHS custody in June had been in the agency’s care for an average 348 days — nearly a year.
250
10K
150
5K
50
0
0
July
2018
Jan.
2019
July
2019
Jan.
2020
July
2020
Jan.
2021
July
2018
Jan.
2019
July
2019
Jan.
2020
July
2020
Jan.
2021
Jan.
2018
Jan.
2018
May 2019
11,475
Feb.
2021
9,297
