Foster Care Facts

Foster care is part of the child welfare system whereby children are removed from their homes due to allegations or risk of abuse or neglect and placed in 24 hour substitute care until they can either be reunited with the parents placed in the care of a relative or adopted by a non relative.

Foster care facts. The purpose of the foster care facts is to summarize key data points for our knowledge and management. On average children remain in state care for nearly two years and six percent of children in foster care have languished there for five or more years. Over 25600 foster youth spend more than five years in foster care. The average age of a foster child entering foster care is 7 to 8 years old.

Often their families face issues such as illness alcohol or drug addiction or homelessness. Former foster youth are less likely to have completed high school have work experience and have the life skills necessary to become independent at 18 than their peers. More than 1200 youth are placed in foster care nationwide because of their own alcohol dependence problems. More boys are in the foster care system than girls 52 to 48.

The average age of a foster child exiting foster care is 7 to 9 years old. 51 of children in foster care reunify with their parents or primary caregivers. There are children in your community who need the warmth and guidance of a family. And produce data for comparisons over time and between regions.

Children and youth most often are placed in foster care because of neglect 62 and parental drug abuse 36. 6 percent of all children in the us. 10 of foster children spend more than 5 years in foster care. Will find themselves in the foster care system before they turn 182.

Welcome these children into your family to provide safety stability and love. Foster care is a temporary living arrangement for abused neglected and dependent children who need a safe place to live when their parents or another relative cannot take care of them. Foster care abuse is a tragedy. You can make a difference be a foster parent.

You can do this. In 2018 nearly 690000 children spent time in us. Over half of all foster youth are reunited with their family or primary caregiver when they exit the system. The creation of foster care facts is intended to create consistency in how dcbs reports to others.

Foster care en espanol. 52 of foster children are adopted by a foster parent. Despite the common perception that the majority of children in foster care are very young the average age of kids entering care is 8.