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How big is the issue nationally?*
Each year in the United States, roughly 3.5 million children are referred for child maltreatment investigations, and roughly 650,000 children are served in the foster care system.The average time spent per stay in foster care is 17.5 months.The Casey Family National Foster Care Alumni Study found that over 90% of alumni had histories of maltreatment, and 21% reported maltreatment that occurred while they were in foster care.
Children and youth who experience trauma, including abuse and neglect, are at increased risk for long-term emotional, behavioral, and physical health problems, among other challenges.
Twelve (12) to twenty (20) year-olds represent about 37% of of the total foster care population.Roughly 10% of youth age out of the foster care system having never established permanency with a family.https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/statistics/Arizona specific data*
In SFY2023, there were 152,856 calls to the Child Abuse Hotline; 45,590 became investigations into child abuse and neglect.
At SFY2023 close, there were 11,645 children in foster care.
3,066 were between the ages of 13 and 17.
921 were between the ages of 18 and 21 and living in extended foster care.
In SFY2023, 843 young adults left foster care voluntarily upon turning 18.
https://dcs.az.gov/news-reports/performance-measures
Outcome data for youth aging out of foster care*
Nearly 30% of young people transitioning out of foster care experience homelessness by age 21.
Nearly one-third (1/3) of young people transitioning out of foster care have no high school diploma or GED by age 21.
Nearly 45% of young people transitioning out of foster care remain unemployed at age 21.
22% of young people transitioning out of foster car experienced incarceration by age 21.
7 in 10 young females transitioning out of foster care became pregnant within 2 years.
7% of young people transitioning out of foster care had a child by age 17; 10% by age 19; and 22% by age 21.
15% of young females transitioning out of foster care had a child by age 19; 30% had a child by age 21.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and foster care*
A study assessing foster care alumni found that 30% of respondents met lifetime diagnostic criteria for PTSD compared with 7.6% of a general population sample with similar demographics.
Estimates across studies suggest that more than 50% of youth in foster care meet criteria for at least one psychiatric diagnosis during childhood.
A study of foster youth aged 8–19 found that 64% of sexually abused participants compared to 42% of physically abused participants met criteria for PTSD, whereas only 18% of those experiencing a trauma other than physical or sexual abuse met criteria for PTSD.
