<p>Children in foster care have worse medical and behavioral health than children in the general population. This is influenced by multiple factors, including a high incidence of poverty, exposure to trauma, and chronic medical conditions. Despite known differences in health, less is known regarding differences in mortality. In this cross-sectional study, we compared mortality rates and trends for children in the US foster care system with those in the general population for the 2003-2016 time period.</p>