Approximately 20% of foster youth become homeless when they age out of care at eighteen years old.

(The National Foster Youth Institute)

50% of the overall homeless population have spent time in foster care.

(The National Foster Youth Institute)

Approximately 29% to 64% of former foster youth enroll in college or postsecondary programs, but only about 8%-12% complete a degree by their mid-20’s.

(Okpych, N. J., “Secondary and Postsecondary Education Outcomes of Students with Experience in Foster Care: Systematic Review of the Literature From 2000-2023.” Sage Journals, 2023. journals.sagepub.com)

Low-income and housing unstable children face higher barriers, with one study finding only 31% of children below the poverty line participate in sports.

(Black, L.I., Terlizzi, E.P., Vahratian, A., “Organized Sports Participation Among Children Aged 6-17 Years: United States.” National Center for Health Statistics, 2020. www.cdc.gov)

In a study of former foster youth that reported participating in extracurricular activities in high school, 80% finished high school or completed some college at the time of of their emancipation.

(Merdinger, J.M., Hines, A.M., Osterling, K.L., Wyatt, P., “Pathways to College for Former Foster Youth: Understanding Factors That Contribute to Educational Success.” JSTOR, 2005. www.jstor.org.)

In Texas over 40,000 children entered services in the 2025 fiscal year.

(DFPS Data Book)

Approximately 90% of foster children arrive at their new homes with their belongings in trash bags.