Washington State's most vulnerable children face incredible obstacles.
UNFAVORABLE OUTCOMES
Children in foster care are there through no fault of their own. They are there because of the actions of their caregivers that brought them in the foster care system in an already traumatized state. Often children who enter into foster care (especially older children) are subject to the first week or more spent in between social workers’ offices and motel stays and when a placement is found, often it is only temporary with many more placements to follow. Each of these “bounces” only contributes to the emotional trauma the child has already suffered.
74% of incarcerated adults spent time in foster care
80% of death row inmates spent time in foster care
50% of girls in foster care are pregnant by age 19
25% of homeless youth spent time in the foster care system
Adolescents who had been in foster care are nearly four times more likely to have attempted suicide
On average, children in foster care move every five months
Once they are placed, 15% of children in foster care have five or more placements
Once they are placed, 5% of children in foster care have ten or more placements
Over 15% of the children in care have five or more placements and almost 5% have 10 or more
25% of the homeless children living on the streets of Seattle are “refugees from the foster care system”
60% of child sex trafficking victims spent time in the foster care system
SETTING UP TO FAIL
This instability and uncertainty in how a child typically enters into foster care sets an adverse tone for how a child will fare in the future. One failed placement often leads to more failed placements until a dangerous and damaging pattern of multiple placements is established.
Multiple subsequent placements are not only costly to the system, but costly to the emotional well-being of these children entrusted into the State’s care.
RUSHED PLACEMENTS
The current system doesn’t provide the time needed to help the child through the traumatic transition that has just occurred in their lives, let alone to get to know them and understand what might be best for them in terms of next steps. Children are placed in the first available open bed rather than the best possible placement.
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An excellent in-depth article outlining the current crisis in Washington:
A follow-up article identifying solutions including the camp concept: