Children in Foster Care

78,278 children were in the foster care system in California on July 1, 2006. Most children are placed temporarily in foster care due to parental abuse or neglect.

Ages of Children in Foster Care:

6% under 1 year old	30% 11-15 years old
25% 1-5 years old	17% 16-18 years old
21% 6-10 years old	1% over 19 years old

These children come from various ethnic backrounds including African American, Caucasian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and mixed races.

The Greatest Need:

Because of California's focus on reunification and relative placements for younger children, the greatest need is for foster parents open to fostering the following:

Teens (13 - 17)
Sibling sets of 2 or more