<P> 671,000 children were served by the foster care system in the United States in 2015 . "After declining more than 20 percent between FY 2006 and FY 2012 to a low of 397,000, the number of children in foster care on the last day of the fiscal year increased to 428,000 in FY 2015, with a slightly higher percent change from 2014 to 2015 (3.3%) than observed from 2013 to 2014 (3.2%)." In 2015, there were about 112,000 children ready for adoptive families in the nation's foster care systems . </P> <P> The median amount of time a child spent in foster care in the U.S. in 2015 was 13.5 months . That year, 74% of children spent less than two years in foster care, while 13% were in care for three or more years . Of the estimated 427,910 children in foster care on September 30, 2015: 43 percent were White, 24 percent were African - American, 21 percent were Hispanic (of any race), 10 percent were other races or multiracial, and 2 percent were unknown or unable to be determined . </P> <P> Children may enter foster care voluntarily or involuntarily . Voluntary placement may occur when a biological parent or lawful guardian is unable to care for a child . Involuntary placement occurs when a child is removed from their biological parent or lawful guardian due to the risk or actual occurrence of physical or psychological harm . In the US, most children enter foster care due to neglect . If a biological parent or legal guardian is unwilling to care for a child, the child is deemed to be dependent and is placed under the care of the child protection agency . The policies regarding foster care as well as the criteria to be met in order to become a foster parent vary according to legal jurisdiction . </P> <P> Especially egregious failures of child protective services often serve as a catalyst for increased removal of children from the homes of biological parents . An example is the brutal torture and murder of 17 - month - old Peter Connelly, a British toddler who died in London Borough of Haringey, North London after suffering more than 50 severe injuries over an eight - month period, including eight broken ribs and a broken back . Throughout the period of time in which he was being tortured, he was repeatedly seen by Haringey Children's services and NHS health professionals . Haringey Children's services already failed ten years earlier in the case of Victoria Climbié . In the time since his death, in 2007, cases have reached a record rate in England surpassing 10,000 in the reporting year ending in March 2012 . </P>

When is a child placed in foster care
find me the text answering this question