FOSTER CARE STATISTICS

Today, in the United States, there are approximately 400,000 children in foster care – many of whom are never placed in a forever home. When children reach the maximum age without being reunited with family or placed in a permanent home, they age out.

What is Aging Out? 

The foster care system supports children up to the ages of 18-21, varies by state. Children are released from the system's care when they reach the maximum age. This process is known as aging out. Sometimes it's as harsh as having a kid sign paperwork on their 18th birthday and sending them from their group home onto the streets with only a trash bag of their clothing. 

Approximately 20,000 children age out every year. Twenty percent of foster youth will become homeless the day they age out. That means roughly 4,000 kids per year leave foster care into homelessness. In Miami-Dade County, that number is around 300 youth, of which approximately 130 are girls.

A young adult who ages out is less likely to graduate high school, attend college or get a degree, which ultimately increases the cost to society. According to the Annie E Casey Foundation, if aged out foster youth had the same outcomes as youth who didn't age out, the US taxpayers would save $4.1 billion.