Foster Childen - Foster Child Education Statistics Will Make You Sad or Mad

Yesterday we posted these foster kid statistics about foster children in Georgia. Education is vital to the welfare of all children, especially foster kids because many will age out of foster care with no one to care or support them other than themselves. Foster home instability has a negative impact on these children's education as well as a financial cost to schools.


We realized we had hit a nerve because of the many comments we received. Responses to these foster kid statistics ranged from "These stats are really disturbing." by Gia Heller, an international expert on social media to Helene Illston, a former foster parent, who wrote,

"What's really sad is that these same kids grow up to be adults that don't stand much of chance and then create more dependent children and then the cycle starts all over again."

The research shows that foster children in Georgia move from one foster home to another on average 7-10 times while they are in the system. This movement causes these kids to lose up to half a year of school resulting in some foster youth missing as much as four years of education.

An impact study reported in JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association, researched to effect of frequent movement on students. They looked at nearly 10,000 children. Although the study is dated (1993) and the focus was not on foster children specifically, the findings are most pertinent to these kids.

The study found the following between kids who moved frequently and those who moved infrequently or never:

The study conclusion was:

"Frequent family relocation was associated with an increased risk of children failing a grade in school and four or more frequently occurring behavioral problems."

Another, more recent international study (1997) that focused specifically on foster kids found unequivocal results concerning foster children and education:

• Foster youth dropped out of high school at a much higher rate and were significantly less likely to have completed a GED.
 
• Foster youth reported more discipline problems in school and experienced more educational disruption due to changing schools.
 
• They were significantly less likely to be in a college preparatory high school track.
 
• The adults in the lives of the foster care youth were less likely to monitor homework.

There is also the direct financial hit that the education system takes for each student that is retained, kept back a grade. A study by the Brookings Institute revealed that:

Given average per pupil spending of roughly $10,700 (the most recent national estimate), the direct cost to society of retaining 2.3 percent of the 50 million students enrolled in American schools exceeds $12 billion annually.

Foster kids make up a significant percentage of all children who move frequently, costing the public educational system as much as $28,890 (based on the average stay in foster care of 2.7 years). Add this amount to the already sizeable investment of $80,000 to $190,000 paid out in services to support the average foster child.

There is one bright spot about the educational situation for foster kids. A 2006 foster care study uncovered two encouraging findings that positively help foster children.

1. A positive placement history (e.g., high placement stability, few failed reunifications)
2. A broad independent living preparation (as exemplified by having concrete resources upon leaving care).

One of the best ways to give foster children high placement stability is finding their family members so these kids can be in relative placement. Studies show that these foster youth do much better academically.

Although clearly the education of foster youth suffers greatly due, in part, to constantly changing home environments, this is only one aspect of the overall challenges experienced by these children. We also have to wonder at the real functionality of the U.S. foster care system. It becomes obvious that there is much more money being invested to support foster kids. We have to ask not only ourselves but our government representatives if it isn't way past time to make some important long-term management changes in the system.

Do it for the children,


  Richard

Richard Villasana
Find Families In Mexico
760-690-3995

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