Fifteen Facts about Foster Care

by | Sep 6, 2018 | News

  1. Shelter has 3 Foster Care programs
    • Traditional
    • Home-of-Relative
    • Emergency
  2. Foster Care programs try to reunite families whenever it’s in the child’s best interest to do so, otherwise long-term care and adoption is sought
  3. The only age limit to be a Foster Parent is being over 21
  4. In the U.S., there are approximately 100,000 children in Foster Care
  5. Approximately 18,000 Foster Care children are in Illinois
  6. There is no discrimination against Foster Care parent applicants due to age, income, marital status or sexual orientation
  7. Short and long-term Foster Care Parents are needed. Children may live in up to 20 different homes when long-term care or permanency can’t be found
  8. Typically there are 1,000 children in Illinois waiting to be adopted from Foster Care at any time
  9. Children and adolescents in Foster Care are not there through their own actions, but because they are at risk when at home
  10. As a licensed child welfare agency, Shelter provides all Foster Parents with complete training and ongoing support
  11. Children in Foster Care are all ages from birth to 21
  12. The average age of a child in Foster Care is 8
  13. Shelter advocates for brothers and sisters in Foster Care to stay together
  14. Foster Care parents receive financial support for a child’s room and board, clothing and medical and dental care
  15. For more information, visit Shelter’s Foster Care page.