Foster care and emergency housing is designed to provide temporary housing and care for children and adolescents until they can be either reunited with their family, taken in by relatives, adopted, or emancipated as an adult.

Too often, however, youth that pass through the foster care system fail to find permanent homes, transitioning from one living situation to another, and a large percentage experience homelessness at some point in their lives.

Youth Housing and Homelessness

Facts and Figures

• Approximately 25% of former foster youth experience homelessness within 4 years of being emancipated from the foster care system.
• Only about 25% of youth in foster care for 2 or more years find permanent homes.
• The average length of stay in foster care is 20 months.
• 46% of foster children live in a foster family home with a non-relative.
• 29% live in a relative’s home.
• 8% live in an institution.
• 6% live in a group home.
• 11% live elsewhere.