LEARN
L E A R N
Understanding the Need
Foster care is notorious for its unrelenting and unending cycle. Kids face family breakdown, placement in an unfamiliar home, disruption, and too often, disruption again. Sadly, many children age-out of foster care without a permanent or lasting sense of family.
It takes faith, time, money, and emotion to care for vulnerable children. Without support, the role of a foster parent can feel nearly impossible.
The national average of families who quit fostering within their first year is about 50%.
That means we not only need to increase the number of families caring for vulnerable children, but we need to create support for these families so they can foster longer and stronger.
We partner with churches to create Family Advocacy Ministries (FAMs), providing what vulnerable children need most... strong families.
An Ecosystem of Child Well-Being
The ecosystem of child well-being is vast. Promise686 helps the Church navigate this complex environment so that vulnerable children and families experience lasting change. There are many opportunities where churches can serve, bless, and ultimately, influence.
V I D E O S E R I E S
Navigating the Journey of Foster Care and Adoption
Exploring foster care or adoption? This video series provides a brief overview to help you navigate your journey and learn what to expect before taking your next step.
This guide suggests videos that will be most helpful for foster care.
This guide will lead you through videos most beneficial for adoption.
You can find a collection of helpful resources featuring recommended books, podcasts, and links for both foster and adoptive parents—as well as materials for children. These resources are designed to deepen your understanding of trauma, healing, and the foster care and adoption experience.
L E A R N
Knowing the Terms
Age 1
Nearly 1 in 5 children who enter care annually are less than 12 months old.
Children enter foster care through no fault of their own. These children have experienced unsafe conditions, abuse, or neglect. If a child can no longer safely stay with their caregiver, they are removed and placed with relatives, a foster family, or as a last resort, in a group home.
The loss of family and familiar surroundings presents incredible hardships for children in foster care.
Age 7
The average age of a child in the U.S. foster care system is 7 years old.
Research has proven that children need a strong attachment to at least one caregiver for healthy development and long-term flourishing. Unfortunately, for many children in foster care, life is marked by unpredictability and inconsistent relationships. On average, a child in foster care will live in four different homes while in care.
Children who are removed from their homes, families, and communities often experience grief, anxiety, and anger — especially if they have been separated from their siblings.
Age 18
Every year, more than 23,000 youth "age out" of foster care when they turn 18.
These young adults often lack the support and connections needed to thrive into adulthood, and many are forced to navigate life completely alone.
When youth age out of foster care, they are more likely to experience homelessness, joblessness, incarceration, unplanned pregnancy, and human trafficking.
But it doesn't have to be this way. When vulnerable families and foster families are supported, children thrive. Promise686 equips churches across the nation to provide what vulnerable children need most — safe, loving families.