Using data from a sample of 348,695 children admitted to foster care for the first time between 2000 and 2005, this report provides a general overview of what happens when children are placed in foster care. The data include changes in the number of children in care, chances of entering care, placement type, movement, and exit rates. The report uses data from the Multistate Foster Care Data Archive, a repository of administrative data provided by state child welfare agencies to Chapin Hall to support research and development in the child welfare field, with specific emphasis on children who are placed in foster care. Because of the large number of children for whom data are collected and how the data are organized, the report provides a useful baseline for studying entry and exit patterns. The study was funded by Casey Family Programs.