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California Foster Care:
- California has more than 77,000 kids in foster care. Three out
of four children have been removed from their homes because of
severe neglect; one out of four because of physical and/or sexual
abuse.*
- 73% of children in foster care are six years of age or older.**
- 60% of kids remain in foster care for 18 to 42 months or more.*
- 69% of kids placed in traditional foster homes or group homes are moved three or more times.*
- California's foster care system is struggling to provide children with the basics -- food, shelter and medical care. Three out of four kids wait 2-3 months to receive basic medical care and half of the kids in foster care are not receiving dental care or mental health services.*
- Approximately one-third of kids that age out of the system at 18 fail to complete high school. Nearly 25% experience homelessness, and unemployment rates hover near 50%. Almost 25% are arrested and spend time incarcerated.*
Sources:
*Little Hoover Commission. 2003. "Still In Our Hands: A Review of Efforts to Reform Foster Care in California."
**University of California at Berkeley Center for Social Services Research website.
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