Why do we need to take a long hard look at foster care? A review of the statistics are staggering. While child welfare continues their efforts to prevent the removal of children from their parents, the number of children in foster care has been increasing and currently, we are at an all-time high.
On any given day, there are as many as 441,000 children living in foster care throughout the United States. For the fiscal year ending 2018, roughly 270,000 children went into out-of-home care, while 247,000 children exited out-of-home care. That created a need for about 688,000 children to be served by the foster care system in 2018 nationwide.
While children of all ages enter foster care on a daily bases, the average age of a child in foster care is 8 years of age and the number of male children in foster care slightly out weights female children in foster care 52% to 48%. The number one circumstance associated with children being removed from bio-parents is neglect at 62% of cases, but parent drug abuse is a close second at 36% of children entering foster care.
While the national numbers look bleak – Wisconsin is not immune to what I consider a fostering epidemic. For the year ending 2018, there was 7,832 children placed in out of home care. In Wisconsin the highest age range of a child in foster care is 2 – 4 years of age with 1,758 of the 7,832 children. But the highest percentage age of children entering care in 2018 was the 0 - 1 years range. The number of male children in Wisconsin foster care still slightly out weights female children in foster care with 4,071 to 3,761.
In 2018 of the 7,832 children placed in out of home care, 60.7% were placed in non-relative placement and 39.3% with relative placement. Of the relative placement, 17.4% is court ordered and 9.1% is with unlicensed relatives.
While many people stereotype foster children as troubled teens, the truth of the matter is that most foster children are just that — children. The number one reason behind removal is neglect at 40.2%, with parental drug abuse coming in at 16.5%. When children’s biological parents are taken from them at a very young age, it can have a huge impact on their cognitive and emotional development.
In 2018, 5,148 children were discharged from out of home in Wisconsin. Of the 5,148 children, the top three reasons for discharged were 59.6% for reunification with biological family, 16.9% was legal guardianship and 14.6% was the finalization of adoption.
Roughly 30,000 youth age out of the foster care system between the ages of 18 – 21 nationwide annually. The exact time a foster youth ages out of the system depends on where they live. Regardless, roughly 30,000 youth are forced to exit the system annually without having found a forever family, leaving them to fend for themselves. It is not surprising then that within four years of aging out, 70% will be on government assistance, 25% will not have completed high school, and less than 12% will ever earn their college degree.
What do you think of the national foster care statistics vs Wisconsin?