Image of teen girl in foster care

Foster Care Facts

The statistics for foster youth can be troubling. Forward Steps is here to change that picture. We believe that if given the appropriate support, our scholars will channel their strengths and determination toward a positive path as young adults and beyond.

FOSTER YOUTH & POSTSECONDARY

Foster youth understand that a postsecondary education is important, but need support to overcome the emotional and financial barriers.

70%
Aspire To Attend POSTSECONDARY
13%

Enroll In POSTSECONDARY

3%

Graduate POSTSECONDARY

ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES

The instability faced by foster youth while in care makes it extremely difficult to transition to a postsecondary setting. 

6

Avg. Number of Home Placements

7

Avg. Number of School Changes

6

Up to 6 Months Educational Progress Lost Per School Change

LONG-TERM IMPACT OF FOSTER CARE

Without intervention from a program like Guardian Scholars at Forward Steps, youth who have experience in foster care face disproportionate instability after they exit the system.

Image of foster care youth experiencing severe psychological distress.

Psychological Impact of Foster Care

  • 5× more likely to suffer from PTSD.
  •  the rate of drug dependence than peers.
  •  the rate of alcohol dependence than peers.

Social Barriers

  • 54% Unemployment rate by 26 compared to 20% of peers.
  • 75% of females and 33% for males rely on public assistance to meet basic needs.
  • 25% reported being homeless at least once in the four years since emancipation.
Professional image of workers in professional dress taking notes, representing social barriers foster care youth have to receiving a secondary education.

Foster care image of young woman with her child.

Generational Barriers

  • 50% of women had one child by the age of 21, 2x that of peers.
  • 1 in 6 women transitioning out of foster care who were not enrolled in college cited the need to care for children as the most important reason.
Foster care post-secondary education infographic image.

Financial support alone is not enough to increase rates of postsecondary persistence; mentor support and a sense of community are also critical factors.

The Guardian Scholars program is designed to support scholars’ basic needs and unmet education costs through financial assistance (up to $3000/semester per scholar) while providing 1:1 mentoring and resource navigation with trauma informed trained staff. The program also focuses heavily on building community among participants through advocacy training and scholar led group activities.

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