News Report | April 19, 2015
For 11% Of Children In Foster Care, Inadequate Housing Was Factor In Removal From The Home
For 11% of children in foster care during fiscal year 2012, inadequate housing was factor in removal from the home according to federal data. The federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) defines inadequate housing as including homelessness, overcrowding, or unsafe conditions. Research on the relationship between housing stability and child welfare involvement indicates that homeless families have a higher rate of child welfare involvement than low-income families that are housed. Among families whose children are in out-of-home care, unstable or inadequate housing can delay reunification even if housing problems were not a factor . . .