The Need
Every year, between 20,000 and 26,000 young people age out of the foster care system in the United States. For most of us, turning 18 means new freedom with a family still behind us. For these young women, it often means the opposite - the support system they had, however imperfect, disappears all at once.
Without a home to return to, family to call, or someone in their corner, they are left to face adulthood on their own. The statistics show just how steep that road can become.
Homelessness
An estimated 20% of youth become homeless the very day they age out of care. Within two years, that number climbs to as many as 50%. A safe place to land—even temporarily—can change the entire trajectory of a young woman's life.
Vulnerability to Trafficking
Sixty percent of human trafficking victims have a history in the foster care system. Without stable housing, income, or a support network, young women aging out of care can be vulnerable targets for exploitation—often by people who offer the very things they're missing: safety, belonging, and love.
Teen Pregnancy
Young women in foster care face a much higher risk of unplanned pregnancy than their peers. By age 19, an estimated 40% to more than 50% have experienced at least one pregnancy, compared with roughly 20% of young women in the general population. By age 21, that figure may reach 71%.
Substance Abuse
Up to 75% of young people who have been in foster care experience substance use issues by young adulthood. For some, drugs or alcohol become a way to cope with painful experiences they have carried for years, often without the support needed to heal.
Education and Self-Sufficiency
Only about 55% of young people in foster care earn a high school diploma by age 19, and just 3% go on to complete a college degree. Even when tuition assistance is available, many young women have no one beside them to help navigate the process. Without that guidance, doors that could have been open to them quietly close.
Behind every one of these numbers is a young woman with a story, a name, and a future that hasn't been written yet.
¹ Courtney, M.E., et al., Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 19 and Outcomes at Age 21 (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, 2005 and 2007), pregnancy rates. Youth.gov, "Child Welfare System," youth.gov/youth-topics/homelessness-and-housing-instability/child-welfare-system, homelessness among youth exiting foster care. National Youth in Transition Database (U.S. Children's Bureau), high school completion. National Foster Youth Institute, "Higher Education for Foster Youth," nfyi.org/issues/higher-education.
