On any given day, there are approximately 400,000 children in foster care in the United States.
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Nearly half of all foster care children are living in nonrelative foster family homes.
The median amount of time spent in foster care is 14.7 months.
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One third of foster children stay in foster care for 1 to 11 months.
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Almost one third of foster children stay in foster care for 12 to 23 months.
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More than a quarter of foster children stay in foster care for more than two years.
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On any given day, more than half of all foster children are people of color.
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One tenth of children who are placed into a permanent setting outside of foster care will re-enter the system within 12 months.
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More than 6% of children who are placed into foster care have been sexually abused by a parent or family member.
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The annual rate of children who are discharged out of the foster system without a successful placement.
Children with a diagnosed disability of any kind, including a learning disability, are twice as likely to age out of the foster care system.
Kids who enter the foster care system after the age of 12 have a 2 in 5 chance of being legally emancipated at the age of 18 from the system.
More than 40% of the children who reach the age of 18 while in foster care were in the system for more than 3 years.
One third of the children who are eligible for adoption from foster care must wait at least 3 years before they will be adopted.
U.S. families adopted more than 7,000 children in 2012, yet over 100k children await adoption from the American foster care system every year.
Nearly 60% of young men who age out of the foster care system and are legally emancipated have been convicted of a crime.
About 1 in 4 kids who age out of the system will not graduate from high school or be able to pass their GED.
5.1% of children who have been the victim of substantiated child abuse will become the victim of abuse again within 6 months.
These devastating facts are the driving force behind Foster A Future, Too. We exist to empower the foster youth community, and to bring awareness to a tragic reality so together we can provide the resources, education, opportunities, and love they need to thrive.
Giving back is important to Michelle Jaeger, founder of With A Smile who started Foster A Future, Too and donates a portion of every project’s profit. As she and her clients succeed, so, too, should this vulnerable population. The more we succeed, the more they succeed thus fostering a future, too.
The logo references kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. We bring that philosophy to Foster A Future, Too. We believe a child’s time in foster care is nothing to be ashamed of or disguised. Rather, it is a part of their personal history along the way to a thriving life of abundance and #LivingMyLegacyNow.
$129
Virtually Prepared
Portable Hard Drive, Headphones, & Blue Light Glasses
Despite all of the challenges, 70% of foster kids regularly say that they would like to attend college one day.
By donating, you’ll be directly preparing a child for any educational circumstance.
$87
Say Cheese!
New Outfit for Picture Day
Almost one third of foster children stay in foster care for 12 to 23 months.
By donating, you are providing an invaluable gift of self-confidence.
$48
A Piece of Home
Duffel Bag with Blanket & Pillow
More than 85% of children in foster care have had a minimum of two different placement settings within the first 12 months of being placed in the system.
By donating, you are equipping a child with the ability of moving with dignity (versus throwing their things in a trash bag) and having their own things regardless of where they lay their head.
$19
Bright Start
Backpack & School Supplies
About 1 in 4 kids who age out of the system will not graduate from high school or be able to pass their GED.
By donating, you are giving a child the best possible start to a successful school year!
$7
Creature Comforts
Stuffed Animal
46% of all foster care children are living in nonrelative foster family homes.
By donating, you give the gift of comfort while the child transitions.
PARTNERSHIPS
$1,001
New Year’s Eve 2020, we raised $1,000.68 to benefit Voices For Children to provide virtual schooling support during the pandemic!
$1,484
$...
In 2022, we are raising money to benefit Maryland’s Somerset, Wicomico, & Worcester Counties to provide ongoing support for the Lower Shore's children and families!
