Reasons Children Enter or Leave Foster Care

The most recent Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) report sheds light on a multitude of heartbreaking situations in America. It’s for the children contributing to these chilling statistics that we ask you to join us in doing something about it.

Top 15 Circumstances Associated With Children Entering Foster Care:

  1. Neglect – 61% (166,679)
  2. Drug Abuse (Parent) – 34% (92,107)
  3. Caretaker Inability To Cope – 14% (37,857)
  4. Physical Abuse – 12% (33,671)
  5. Child Behavior Problem – 11% (28,829)
  6. Housing – 10% (27,871)
  7. Parent Incarceration – 8% (20,939)
  8. Alcohol Abuse (Parent) – 6% (15,143)
  9. Abandonment – 5% (12,889)
  10. Sexual Abuse – 4% (9,904)
  11. Drug Abuse (Child) – 2% (6,273)
  12. Child Disability – 2% (4,554)
  13. Relinquishment – 1% (2,694)
  14. Parent Death – 1% (2,212)
  15. Alcohol Abuse (Child) – <1% (1,242)

NOTE: These categories are not mutually exclusive, so percentages will total more than 100%.

Each percent equals over two thousand children! The need for foster families is enormous because of this!

Reasons Children Exit Foster Care

  1. Reunification with Parent(s) or Primary Caretaker(s) – 51% (125,975)
  2. Adoption – 23% (56,507)
  3. Guardianship – 10% (23,659)
  4. Emancipation – 8% (20,532)
  5. Living with Other Relative(s) – 7% (16,306)
  6. Transfer to Another Agency – 2% (4,336)
  7. Runaway – <1% (881)
  8. Death of Child – <1% (320)

We have great reasons to celebrate the fact that a great number of children find a forever-home! But, at the same time, we ask ourselves “what about the others?”

We ask you to prayerfully consider joining our community of foster families in Cañon City, Colorado. We’re needing to say “no” to a heartbreaking number of child placements because too few families are willing to say “yes” to accepting a child into their home.

Other than joining our community of foster families, here are other ways you can bring God’s love to foster children:

  • Partner with us to expand our foster care programs through donations, prayer, and volunteering.
  • Become a foster family through a local agency wherever you are.

You can see the entire AFCARS report at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/afcarsreport24.pdf