Information on Foster Children in California

In California alone, there are 68,000 foster children in care programs looking for homes and parents to care for them. There are many programs which help parents who want to provide a foster home for these children in need. Though children may be put in foster care for many reasons, most of them are in desperate need of loving homes.

  1. Ages of Children in Foster Care

    • Many children enter foster care at an early age.

      In the state of California, there are 6 percent of children under a year of age. Also, 25 percent are 1 to 5 years old, 21 percent are 6 to 10 years of age, 30 percent are 11 to 15 years old, and 17 percent are 16 to 18 years of age. Most children in California stay in the foster system for about three to four years.

    Mental Health Issues

    • Many foster children suffer from mental health issues; around 50 to 60 percent.

      Children in foster care lead traumatic lives. They are reported to have twice the amount of post-traumatic stress disorder as people who have been in a war. In addition, a third of these children do not have access to health care. Because of this, many children who end up leaving the foster care system may become involved in using illegal substances or suffering from severe mental health problems.

    Adoption &Emancipation

    • Many children need foster care after they have been emancipated.

      Of the children in foster care, 62 percent were adopted by their primary guardians or relatives of some sort (2003). In one year it is estimated that around 5,000 children in the California foster care system are emancipated, which means they leave the program because they have exceeded the age of 18. Once children leave the foster care system through emancipation, many of them, around 40 to 50 percent, become homeless within a year.

    How You Can Help

    • Adopting a foster child can help save their lives.

      There are many ways to help a child in foster care. The simplest way is to volunteer with organizations that deal with fostering children. Another way is to donate money to these organizations. There are foster care systems for almost every county in California. The best way to help foster children is to adopt one by finding a foster care organization near you.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How to Foster a Child
      Foster homes provide at-risk children a temporary, safe place to live until they can be reunited with their families or, in some cases, placed permanently with adoptive families. Some children stay in foster care for days or weeks; some stay for year
    • How to Become a Foster Parent to My Niece
      Becoming a foster parent can take a lot of time and preparation. Many classes and tests are required by the government for someone to become a foster parent. To be accepted into the foster care program of your state, foster-parenting training classes
    • Government Grants for Foster Care
      Foster parents play an integral role in helping children in difficult situations to have a safe, stable environment to live in while their family issues are resolved or until an adoptive family can be located. According to statistics gathered by the