Promise 2
Safety, Permanence, and Services to Children in Out-of-Home Settings
Facts & Figures
Abuse and Neglect
- Each week, child protective services (CPS) agencies throughout the United States receive more than 50,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect.1
- 896,000 children were found to have been victims of abuse or neglect—an average of more than 2,450 children per day. 2
- Children under the age of 5, as a proportion of their population, are at the highest risk of abuse and/or resulting death
- Neglect has been the leading cause of child abuse deaths in Florida over the past seven years.3
- In 2008, in Florida, 49% of perpetrators of child abuse deaths were the mother of the deceased child.
- 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.
- Five percent, or 30,677, of the nation’s 513,000 foster children reside in Florida.4
- 22% or over 7,000 of children in foster care in Florida have been in more than 2 placements, and 102 were abused or neglected while in care. 5
- 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 0-11 months, 18% after 24 months.
- 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 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.
1, 2 US Dept of Health & Human Services, Children’s Bureau. “Child Maltreatment 2002.” http://www.acf.hhs.gov
3 State Child Abuse Death Review Committee Florida Child Abuse Death Review. December 2008. http://www.childdeathreview.org
4, 5 “SOS Children's Villages-Florida recognizes National Foster Care Month.” May 2008. http://www.sosflorida.com
*For any questions, or a full list of sources please contact Children’s Campaign at campaign@iamforkids.org*