September 9, 2009

Finding Permanence for Kids: NCFA Recommendations for Immediate Improvement to the Foster Care System

In 2006, there were 510,000 children in foster care. Almost three hundred thousand children exited foster care, with nine percent being emancipated. It is important to note that the number of children being emancipated of the system each year has increased steadily, reaching a record in 2006. Children's advocates, foster care alumni, policy makers, and other stakeholders are all calling for reform of the current foster care system. The research is clear that remaining in foster care is not good for kids. Research finds that children in foster care are at high risk of poor educational outcomes, demonstrate low levels of school engagement, and are less likely to be involved in extracurricular activities. Children in foster care are also more likely to have physical and mental health problems than children growing up not in foster care. "Aging out" of foster care before one is ready for adulthood and independence also has detrimental effects on children. In the most recent report from a study, looking at the youth at age 21, the researchers found negative outcomes.

Compared to a nationally representative sample of 21-year-olds who were part of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the foster care youth were more than twice as likely to not have a high school diploma or GED, were less likely to be employed, reported a median income of $5,450 from employment over the previous year (compared to their peers), were more likely to describe their health as being fair or poor, were less likely to have health insurance, and much more. This issue, by Elisa Rosman, Ph.D. with Chuck Johnson and Marc Zappala, presents suggestions for improving the foster care system and insuring that more children currently residing in the foster care system find a safe permanency option. The recommendations fall into areas such as foster and adoptive parent recruitment and retention, increasing adoptions out of foster care, getting more families involved in the lives of foster children, support/training for frontline, child welfare workers, encourage states to provide care until age 21, focus on permanency, court-related changes, and policy/legislative changes.