Promise 2: Safety, Permanence, and Services to Children in Out-of-Home Settings

FACTS & FIGURES

Abuse and Neglect

• In 2003, 906,000 United States children were victims of abuse and neglect
• In 2002, 122,131 Florida children were victims of abuse and neglect
• Children under the age of 5, as a proportion of their population, are at the highest risk of abuse and/or resulting death
• In 1999, in Florida, 77% of perpetrators of child abuse and neglect were parents and 13% were relatives, reoccurrence occurred in 6.2% of cases
• Children living in homes with domestic violence are more at risk for abuse
• In Florida 34% (41,890) of child victims were victims of neglect or medical neglect, 14.5% (17,708) of physical abuse, 4.9% (5,984) of sexual abuse and 68.9% (84,148) of psychological and other maltreatment
• There are no differences based on race in the incidence of abuse and neglect of children and youth, yet African American children and children of two or more races are four times more likely than Caucasian children to be placed in out of home care

Foster Care

• 542,000 children and youth are in foster care on any given day in the United States
• Over 30,000 children in Florida are in foster care, where the average length of stay is 23.7 months
• 22% or over 7,000 of children in foster care in Florida have been in more than 2 placements, and 102 were abuse or neglected while in care
• Over 17,000 Florida children exited foster care in 2001
• 8.8% left due to adoption, 80.8% for reunification, 2.3% for legal guardianship, and 8% to other
• 50% of children were reunified within 0-11months, 18% after 24months
• 10% of children were adopted within 0-11 months, 70% were adopted after 24 months
• Children of color are less likely to be reunified with their birth families and experience more placements than Caucasian children
• 151,492 in Florida are living with relatives without a parents present and not in foster care

Adoption

• Approximately 2% of all U.S. children are adopted
• In 2001, Florida had almost 8,000 children waiting in foster care to be adopted
• Nationally, the average age of children adopted from foster care was 7 years, on average they waited 18 months following the termination of parental rights to be adopted

Independent Living

• Nationally 100,000 youth in foster care are 16 or older
• About 200,000 youth age 16 and older make the transition from foster care to legal emancipation each year

*For full list of sources please contact Children’s Campaign at campaign@iamforkids.org*