Who Are the Kids in Therapeutic Foster Care?
Children entering the Treatment Homes’ program are aged 3 – 12, with moderate to severe emotional or behavioral problems. Typically, they have suffered chronic neglect or maltreatment – physical abuse, sometimes sexual abuse – in their birth homes. They are troubled and confused kids who often have difficulty trusting others. They may be behind in school or less emotionally or socially developed than their peers.
They are black and white and Hispanic, girls and boys, tall and short, thin and chubby. In other words, they look like other kids. But they’re different … they’re wounded, through no fault of their own. What they all have in common is a desperate need for love, acceptance, nurturing, and permanent attachment to others.
Arkansas Foster Care Kids
2020:
- 60% White
- 40% Children of Color – Black, Hispanic, and Other
- 49% Boys (percentage tends to shift slightly each year)
- 51% Girls (percentage tends to shift slightly each year)
- Almost half are 5 years old or younger
- Are 3 to 10 times More Likely to have Emotional, Behavioral, or Developmental Problems (than non-foster kids)
Find more information here.