Issues In North Carolina Regarding Foster Care

There are many issues in North Carolina that place a child in the foster care system. Opioids, abuse, poverty and abandonment just to mention a few. The amount of children in the foster care system has grown to an "alarming rate" states Brian Maness, President and CEO of the Children's Home Society in North Carolina.

As these foster age children start becoming young adults at the age of 16, their lives need change.

Per the National Conference of State Legislatures.

-5 was homeless.

36 percent of youth in one study had been homeless at least once by age 26; nearly half of those youth had been homeless more than once and nearly 75 percent had been homeless four or more times.

A third lived in at least three different places; 20 percent had lived in four or more.

Only 58 percent graduated high school by 19 (compared with 87 percent of all 19 year olds)

One-fifth of 26-year-old’s did not have a high school diploma or GED; only 8 percent of these young adults had earned a postsecondary degree.

Only 46 percent of youth in the same study were employed.

$13,989 was the average income earned at age 26 and 26 (compared to $32,312 for youth in the general population.

1 in 4 was involved in the criminal justice system within 2 years of leaving care.

30 percent of 21-year-old former foster youth reported criminal justice system involvement.

By age 26, the majority of young women and four-fifths of young men in the study had been arrested; nearly one-third of those young women and almost two-thirds of the young men had spent at least one night in jail since they were 18 years old.

Nearly 80 percent of young women became pregnant by age 26 (compared with 55 percent of young women in the general population).

Non-resident children of these mothers were most likely to be living with foster or adoptive parents (compared with nonresident children of mothers in the general population who were most likely to be living with grandparents or other relatives).

The list and the needs of these young adults are many and as such we can start to make a difference in the future of these young people. Ultimately it affects all of us.