people matter.
homelessness, foster care, human trafficking, incarceration - all of these are inter-related.
the question we get asked the most is, "what is the answer?"
it starts with getting to know some names.
kids in care
606,031
this is the total number of kids that engaged with the foster system in 2021. on any given night there is ~391,000 kiddos in care.
foster care & human trafficking
60%
of victims of human trafficking were involved in the child welfare system.
homeless & prison
1 in 3
adults in custody had an episode of homelessness within two months of incarceration.
foster care & homelessness
23,000
kiddos at 18 leave the child welfare system and become homeless each year.
3+ placements
219,000+
children in the child welfare system in 2021 had three or more placements. children who have been in care longer than 24 months have a 60% likelihood of having 3+ placements.
foster care & prison
90%
of foster youth with 5+ placements will enter the criminal justice system
there are countless people hurting.
right now.
in your city.
1. it's all related
homelessness, human trafficking, the child welfare system, and the criminal justice system are all interconnected; each one is a conduit into the other. as soon as someone enters one of these communities, their likelihood of bouncing between the others increases drastically.
2. it starts with kids
the child welfare system can be a place where restoration happens: parents access services, kiddos find forever homes, families are reunited, etc.. unfortunately, the odds are not stacked in a child's favor. the foster system is a pipeline into homelessness, human trafficking, the criminal justice system, trauma, and attachment disorders.
3. break the cycle
getting out of these communities is a long hard road. we often tell people that "homeless" is an unfortunate moniker because the lack of a home is hardly the problem. to get out, individuals have to overcome addiction, abuse, service trauma, emotional trauma, lack of education, isolation, and an overwhelmed system.
4. trauma abounds
when you see someone on the street or coming out of prison, instead of asking, "what did you do" try asking "what happened to you". when the teacher asked the 1st grade class what they wanted to be when the grow up, no one said "homeless;" something happened along the way: trauma.
sources:
nameless
project.