Facts About
Children in Foster Care in 2004

Children in Foster Care with HOPE, Inc.

Total Population:
HOPE, Inc. currently serves 57 children in the Tidewater area.
185 children have been in foster care with HOPE, Inc. since 1990.
Most children were placed temporarily in foster care due to parental abuse or neglect.

Age:
Average age 12

Gender:
Male - 48%         Female - 52%

Race and Ethnicity:
Black (non-Hispanic)                                         61.8%
White (non-Hispanic)                                        31.5%
Hispanic                                                            1.1%
Am. Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic)               0%
Asian/Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic)                    0%
Unknown N/A                                                     0%
2 or More Races (non-Hispanic)                           5.6%

Length of Stay:
The average length of stay for children in care with HOPE, Inc. as of September 30, 2004 was 10.3 months.

Reunified:
In 2004, 54% of the children discharged from HOPE, Inc. were reunified with their birth parents or primary caregivers.

Adoption:
In 2004, 29% of HOPE, Inc. children were adopted by their non relative foster parents and 9% were adopted by relatives.

Children in Foster Care In Virginia

Total Population:
7,160 children were in the foster care system in Virginia on September 30, 2004. Most children are placed temporarily in foster care due to parental abuse or neglect.i

Age:
Average age is 11.5

Gender:
Male: 53%        Female: 47%

Race and Ethnicity:
Black (non-Hispanic)                                        42.6%
White (non-Hispanic)                                       45.5%
Hispanic                                                           5.6%
Am. Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic)             0.04%
Asian/Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic)                  0.28%
Unknown N/A                                                   5.3%
2 or More Races (non-Hispanic)                         5.4%

Length of Stay:
The average length of stay for children in care on September 30, 2004 was 18.7 months.i

Reunified:
50% of the young people leaving the system in FY 2004 were reunified with their birth parents or primary caregivers.i

Adoption:
Of children with state agency involvement adopted in FY 2004, 84% were adopted by their non-relative foster parents and 5% were adopted by relatives.i

i Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data submitted for the FY 2004, 10/1/03 through 9/30/04.

ii U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000. American FactFinder. http://factfinder.census.gov

iii Child Welfare League of America - National Data Analysis System http://ndas.cwla.org