At the end of 2024, there were 328,947 children in foster care. 51% of these children are between 1 and 10 years old. Of the estimated 65% to 85% of these children who have siblings, 53% to 80% will be separated from them. Almost 40% of children in foster care will be placed in two or more homes each year, due to foster families not being equipped for the child's needs, burnout, or turnover. Foster children are seven times more likely to suffer from depression, six times more likely to exhibit behavioral issues, and five times more likely to have anxiety than children who did not spend time in foster care. Of the more than 23,000 children who age out of the system each year, 20% will become instantly homeless, and 25% will suffer from PTSD. Despite these statistics, less than 25% of these children will receive the mental health treatment that they need due to a shortage of licensed therapists who accept state insurance and a lack of recognition of need by adults in the children's lives. To improve these statistics and achieve positive outcomes for these children, there needs to be increased community resources and support for foster children and their families. Educators need to be trauma-informed in order to recognize each foster child's unique emotional needs and their need for mental and emotional therapy, as well as to support foster families. State legislators must work to provide funds for foster parents to seek mental therapy for their children outside of the available state insurance. Additionally, there is a critical need for more loving and compassionate foster families to provide these children with stable and secure homes, enabling them to heal, grow, and thrive. As a society that cares about children and their well-being, we need to work together to ensure that these children and their families receive the care and support they so desperately need, and that foster children have a chance at a successful future.
References
AZPM (2017, November 6). Fostering Hope – The foster care system and youth mental health. YouTube. https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=do%20all%20foster%20children%20recieve%20mental%20health%20services&mid=86531AF292FD0B78206B86531AF292FD0B78206B&ajaxhist=0
Christian Alliance for Orphans. (2025, November 5). U.S. Foster Care Statistics 2025. US Foster Care Statistics 2025: Data & Trends [Updated Nov 2025]
Turney, K., & Wildeman, C. (2016, October 17). Foster Care Children at Much Greater Risk of Physical, Mental Health Problems. UCI News. https://news.uci.edu/2016/10/17/foster-care-children-at-much-greater-risk-of-physical-mental-health-problems/#:~:text=Children%20who%27ve%20been%20in%20the%20U.S.%20foster%20care,co-author%20Kristin%20Turney%2C%20UCI%20associate%20professor%20of%20sociology
Young, E.B. (n.d). Foster Youth Mental Health Policy Brief. NFYI. https://nfyi.org/foster-youth-mental-health-policy-brief/