The Facts about Children and Foster Care
The Raw Numbers
- There were 903,089 substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect in 2001 in the United States.
- The number of children in the foster care system on September 30, 2001 was 542,000.
- Of those, approximately 50,000 were adopted out of the foster care system.
- There were still 126,000 children waiting to be adopted at that time. Returning home is not an option for these children and youth.
Mental Health
- The US Department of Health & Human Services estimates that 75-80% of children who need mental health services do not receive them.
- More than 80% of children in foster care have developmental, emotional, or behavioral problems.
- Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among teens and young adults.
- In the year 2000, 3,994 youth aged 15-24 committed suicide. That's one every 2 hours.
Other Statistics
- In 2003, families with children accounted for 40% of the overall homeless population in 25 major US cities.
- In 2001, the US Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 47% of the homeless population in the US had aged out of the fostere care system.
- In 2001, 13% of Americans ages 18-24 did not get a high school diploma or pass an equivalency test
- An estimated 57% of children in 2001 were reunited with thier parents or principal caretaker after an average stay of 12 months in foster care.
- The average stay for all children in foster care in 2001 was 33 months.
- The 8 states with the most foster children in care (2001) are as follows:
| Ranking | State | # of Children | % of US Foster Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 107,168 | 20% |
| 2 | New York | 43,365 | 8% |
| 3 | Florida | 32,477 | 6% |
| 4 | Illinois | 28,460 | 5% |
| 5 | Ohio | 21,584 | 4% |
| 6 | Pennsylanvia | 21,237 | 4% |
| 7 | Michigan | 20,896 | 4% |
| 8 | Texas | 19,739 | 4% |
| Totals | 294,926 | 55% | |
All statistics were taken from CWLA, PEW, and AFCARS reports.
