Equity for Youth in the Foster Care System: Building Allies and Advocates

The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) collects data for all children placed in foster care or who are adopted through the foster care system (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2021; USDHHS). The most recent data provided at the time of this article (September 30, 2020) reflects a current enrollment of 407,493 children in the foster care system. Over the past five years, enrollment peaked in 2017 (N = 436,552) and slightly decreased (USDHHS, 2021). The foster care system is complex, with children placed into varying foster care system living environments (e.g., relative, non-relative, group home, institution, supervised independent living), with differing case plan goals (e.g., reunification with parents, living with other relatives, adoption, long-term care, emancipation, guardianship), and time spent in the system (USDHHS, 2021). The average age of a child in foster care is 8.4 years old, with children spending anywhere from birth to 20 years in the system, with 21 months as the average time spent in foster care (USDHHS, 2021). During the 2020 fiscal year, 216,838 children entered the foster care system (USDHHS, 2021). With most children spending time in the school environment, school administrators, counselors, staff, and educators are primed to recognize methods for effectively advocating for these youth. This presentation touches on a 31-year content analysis and provides suggestions for successful implementation.