According to national statistics, in the 2016 fiscal year, a total of 437,500 children were in foster care in the US. Of these, approximately 2,000 youth reside here in Miami-Dade County.  These children face tremendous challenges. Here are some statistics of their realities:

• On average, children living in foster care will have over 3 placement changes during their stay in the system.
• While in care, 65 % of foster youth experience 7 or more school changes (K -12).
• 50% of children in foster care have chronic medical problems.
• An estimated 70% of children have siblings who are also brought into foster care. But all too often they are separated from their siblings removing any semblance of family and support.

As these youth enter adulthood, they often face additional barriers to success and struggle to secure basic needs. While most youths have caring, supportive parents to help them navigate life’s barriers to independence, youth typically lack that support and are at significantly greater risk of dropping out of school, being unemployed, experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, becoming homeless or victims of human trafficking.

• 1 out of 5 will become homeless.
• 1 out of 3 will live at or below the poverty level.
• 1 out of 4 will be incarcerated in the first two years
• 1 out of 4 will be diagnosed with PTSD.
• 3 out 4 young women will be pregnant before age 21
• On average, for every young person who ages out of the foster care system, taxpayers and community members pay $300,000 over that person’s lifetime in social costs such as public assistance, incarceration, and other community costs.