1. Foster Care: Facts & Importance
By Emily Lake

2. Foster Care: What is it?
Definition: “A system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home, or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a foster parent. The placement of the child is normally arranged through the government or a social service agency. “

3. Reasons for placement in foster care
Percent
Neglect Parental substance abuse Inability to cope Physical abuse Child behavior problem Inadequate housing Parental incarceration Abandonment Sexual abuse
61% 36% 14% 13% 11% 10% 8% 5% 4%

4. Ethnicities of foster care children

5. Amount of Foster Care Placements
40% foster children go to only 1 foster placement
25% go to 2 placements
13% go to 3
22% go to 4 or more placements

6. Types of placements
45% Non relative 30% Relative 13% Group home/state institution 11% Other

7. Child Abuse One of the main factors of children going into foster care
Ranked 3rd cause of death in U.S. children under age of 4
79% children killed of abuse under 4 yrs. old
25% are infants
Average of 5 kids per day die in U.S. due to abuse or neglect

8. Youth in Foster Care
Foster care has huge impact on the education of children
Kids in foster care are statically shown to do poorer in school
15% less likely to complete high school
50% receive high school diploma
10% go on to college
Of 10% only 3% graduate
52% foster kids attend schools that are ranked in the lowest 30%

9. Outcomes of children after leaving Foster Care
50%
homeless during 1st 2 yrs. of leaving foster care
unemployed adults
60 %
girls become pregnant within few yrs. of leaving
Over half will be returned to parents
22% will be adopted
Few will transfer their guardianships and even fewer will emancipate

10. Glimpse of hope
Some many people have a passion for foster care and children
Foster Care to Success is an organization that desires to make a difference in our nation’s foster care system
You can see the success of so many families whose lives were made whole because of adoption and foster care here

11. Bringing it Closer to home
In Arkansas there is a Foster Care organization called The Call. It’s purpose is to help aid those foster families so that they know they aren’t alone, and also encouraging others to become loving foster families. They provide as much as they can for the families and the children in order for there to be success and support of both sides.

12. References
Childtrends.org
Childrensrights.org
Promises2kids.org