How does the United States fare in its treatment of children?
Although the U.S. is ranked first in gross domestic product globally,
[i] it is:
- 20th of 21 among developed nations based on overall child well-being,[ii] and
- 25th of 27 among developed nations based on the rate of child deaths from abuse and neglect.[iii]
How many children are abused and neglected in the U.S?
- 6.0 million children were referred to Child Protective Services (CPS).[iv]
- 3.3 million children were investigated for maltreatment by CPS.[v]
- 825,000 children were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect.[vi]
What type of maltreatment did these children suffer?
- 78.3% were victims of neglect.[vii]
- 17.8 % were victims of physical abuse.[viii]
- 9.5% were victims of sexual abuse. [ix]7.6% were victims of psychological abuse.[x]
* Children that suffer from multiple forms of abuse were counted for each.
Who suffered from maltreatment?
- Children under the age of one were 50% more likely to be victims of abuse and neglect.[xi]
- More than 8% of victims had a reported disability.[xii]
- More than half of the victims were girls.[xiii]
How many children in the U.S. died from abuse and neglect?
- There are an estimated 1,770 child fatality victims per year due to maltreatment in the U.S.,[xiv] an average of 34 children per week.
- More than 80% of children killed were 0-4 years old.[xv] Of these, 46.2% were less than one year old.[xvi]
How much does child abuse and neglect cost the U.S.?
- Annual estimated direct cost of medical care for child abuse and neglect in the U.S.:[xvii] $33,101,302,133
- Annual estimated direct AND indirect cost of child abuse and neglect in the U.S.:[xviii] $103,754,017,492
What kind of legal assistance is provided for these children?
- 37% of states do not mandate legal representation for children in abuse and neglect proceedings.[xix]
- 49% of states do not provide abused and neglected children the traditional legal representation received by adults.[xx]
What happens to former foster children?
- Approximately 408,425 children were in the foster care system.[xxi]
- 27,854 of those children aged out of foster care. [xxii]
- Percentage of the general population that have a bachelor’s degree: [xxiii] 27.5%
- Percentage of former foster children that have a bachelor’s degree:[xxiv] 3%
- Percentage of the general population in jail or prison: [xxv] 1%
- Percentage of former foster children incarcerated after aging out: [xxvi] Males: 44.6%, Females: 16.4%
- Percentage of the general population who experience homelessness over the course of a year:[xxvii] <1%
- Percentage of former foster children who experience homelessness after aging out of the system:[xxviii] 24.3%
- Percentage of former foster children who reported being unemployed 1 year after aging out:[xxix] 47%
- Percentage of former foster children who reported living on food stamps 2-3 years after aging out: [xxx] 45.4%
[i] World Bank, World Development Indicators Database, Total GDP 2008, at 1 (2009), available at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GDP.pdf.
[ii] UNICEF, Child poverty in perspective: An overview of child well-being in rich countries, Innocenti Report Card 7 (2007) (using 6 categories of child well-being: material well-being, health and safety, educational well-being, family and peer relationships, behaviours and risks, subjective well-being), available at http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/rc7_eng.pdf
[iii] UNICEF, ‘A league table of child maltreatment deaths in rich nations’, Innocenti Report Card 5 (2003) UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence, available at http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/repcard5e.pdf.
[iv] Admin. on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), U.S. Dep’t of Health and Human Services, Child Maltreatment 2009, at xii (2010).
[xvii] Ching-Tung Wang, Ph.D. & John Holton, Ph.D., Prevent Child Abuse America, Total Estimated Cost of Child Abuse and Neglect in the United States 4 (2007).
[xix] First Star, Second Edition, A Child’s Right to Counsel: A National Report Card on Legal Representation for Abused & Neglected Children, at 8 (2009).
[xxiv] According to a weighted average of foster care alumni studies, the college completion rate was 3%. College completion rates, however, are higher
when follow-up studies include older adults. For example, the college completion rate was three times greater (at 10.8%) in a recent study of foster care alumni who were served by a voluntary child welfare agency (and who were ages 25 and older). See Pecora, P. J., Williams, J., Kessler, R. C., Downs, A. C., O’Brien, K., Hiripi, E., & Morello, S. (2003). Assessing the Effects of Foster Care: Early Results from the Casey National Alumni Study. Seattle, WA: Casey Family Programs, p. 28.
[xxv] The Pew Center on the States, One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008, at 3 (2008).
[xxvi] Mark E. Courtney et al., Chapin Hall, Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 21, at 66 (2007) (asking former foster children at age 21 whether they have spent time in jail since their last interview 2 to 3 years ago).
[xxvii] Calculated by dividing the estimated homeless population of the US over the course of a year (1.3 – 2.3 million) by the estimated total population in the US (312,152,633). See Nan P. Roman & Phyllis Wolfe, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Web of Failure: The Relationship Between Foster Care and Homelessness 4 (1995); The Urban Institute, Millions Still Face Homelessness in a Booming Economy, http://www.urban.org/publications/900050.html (2000) (last revised in 2010); U.S. POPClock Projection, http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html (last visited September 6, 2011).
[xxviii] Mark E. Courtney et al., Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Ages 19, at 10 (2010).
[xxix] Mark E. Courtney et al., Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Ages 23 and 24, at 23 (2010).
[xxx] Mark E. Courtney et al., Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 21, at 40 (2010).
[i] World Bank, World Development Indicators Database, Total GDP 2008, at 1 (2009), available at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GDP.pdf.
[ii] UNICEF, Child poverty in perspective: An overview of child well-being in rich countries, Innocenti Report Card 7 (2007) (using 6 categories of child well-being: material well-being, health and safety, educational well-being, family and peer relationships, behaviours and risks, subjective well-being), available at http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/rc7_eng.pdf
[iii] UNICEF, ‘A league table of child maltreatment deaths in rich nations’, Innocenti Report Card 5 (2003) UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence, available at http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/repcard5e.pdf.
[iv] Admin. on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), U.S. Dep’t of Health and Human Services, Child Maltreatment 2009, at xii (2010).
[xii] USA QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau, http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html 2010.
[xvii] Ching-Tung Wang, Ph.D. & John Holton, Ph.D., Prevent Child Abuse America, Total Estimated Cost of Child Abuse and Neglect in the United States 4 (2007).
[xix] First Star, Second Edition, A Child’s Right to Counsel: A National Report Card on Legal Representation for Abused & Neglected Children, at 8 (2009).
[xxiii] US Census Bureau, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009 – Detailed Tables, available at http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/data/cps/2009/tables.html (last revised Sep. 22, 2010).
[xxiv] According to a weighted average of foster care alumni studies, the college completion rate was 3%. College completion rates, however, are higher when follow-up studies include older adults. For example, the college completion rate was three times greater (at 10.8%) in a recent study of foster care alumni who were served by a voluntary child welfare agency (and who were ages 25 and older). See Pecora, P. J., Williams, J., Kessler, R. C., Downs, A. C., O’Brien, K., Hiripi, E., & Morello, S. (2003). Assessing the Effects of Foster Care: Early Results from the Casey National Alumni Study. Seattle, WA: Casey Family Programs, p. 28.
[xxv] The Pew Center on the States, One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008, at 3 (2008).
[xxvi] Mark E. Courtney et al., Chapin Hall, Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 21, at 66 (2007) (asking former foster children at age 21 whether they have spent time in jail since their last interview 2 to 3 years ago).
[xxvii] Calculated by dividing the estimated homeless population of the US over the course of a year (1.3 – 2.3 million) by the estimated total population in the US (312,152,633). See Nan P. Roman & Phyllis Wolfe, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Web of Failure: The Relationship Between Foster Care and Homelessness 4 (1995); The Urban Institute, Millions Still Face Homelessness in a Booming Economy, http://www.urban.org/publications/900050.html (2000) (last revised in 2010); U.S. POPClock Projection, http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html (last visited September 6, 2011).
[xxviii] Mark E. Courtney et al., Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Ages 19, at 10 (2010).
[xxix] Mark E. Courtney et al., Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Ages 23 and 24, at 23 (2010).
[xxx] Mark E. Courtney et al., Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 21, at 40 (2010).