November is National Adoption Month
Foster Care Facts and Figures
Children Entering Foster Care
• Approximately 300,000 children enter foster care each year
• Currently, there are 514,000 children in foster care
• There are approximately 115,000 children in foster care waiting for permanent families
Characteristics Of Children In Foster Care
• Almost half (47%) of children waiting for adoption are ages 9 or older
• The average age of a child in foster care waiting to be adopted is 8.6 years
• 36% of the children who are waiting to be adopted from foster care are African American
• 15% of the children who are waiting to be adopted from foster care are Hispanic
The Need For Parents
• Each year, approximately 24,000 children “age out” of the foster care system without ever having been placed with a permanent family
• Children who exit foster care without a permanent family are at higher risk for poor outcomes, including dropping out of school and other challenges
• Foster care is meant to be temporary, not a permanent situation for children to grow up in
• Transitioning to adulthood is a difficult time for any adolescent. Youth in foster care are particularly in need of ongoing support and guidance from a permanent, loving family they can belong to up until age 18 and beyond
Want to know more? Check out this article about National Adoption Month on About.com.
