until every child has a home

Our Cause

Children in foster care are the most vulnerable group in America. Nearly every societal problem our country faces–homelessness, trafficking, & overcrowded prisons–stems back to the ways we are failing our foster youth.

Brokenness permeates the foster care system. But there is no home for hopelessness at HOP. These numbers drive us forward to bring change to the lives they represent.

Foster Care Stats

407,000

children are in foster care in the U.S.

110,000

children are waiting for
a family to adopt them

64%

 of children enter care
due to neglect

Each year, 20,000 children

age out of foster care without support

Over 35%

13%

enter care due to parental physical or mental health crisis that renders them unable to care for them

9%

enter care due to housing issues

21 months

The average amount of time spent in foster care

6%

spend 5 years or more in the system

80%

struggle with significant mental health issues–compared to 20% of the general populations

Aging Out of Foster Care

Each year, over

20,000

children age out of foster care with no support.

1 in 5

become instantly homeless

60%

end up in the sex industry

Only 50%

find gainful employment by 24

25%

are suffering from PTSD

1 in 4

enter the criminal justice system by age 21

Less
than
3%

earn a 4 year college degree

70% of young women

become pregnant by 21

50%

struggle with drug abuse

Institutional
Foster Care

Nearly 25,000

children live in institutional foster care

Kids placed in institutions:

experience higher rates of physical abuse.

Over 50%

will not finish high school

2.5x

more likely to enter the criminal justice system than their peers in foster care

Are most likely to age out of foster care without support

Human Trafficking

Many don’t realize just how flourishing the human trafficking industry is in the U.S.

It has the

Largest Market

for sex in the world.

It ranks in the

Top 3

countries of origin for trafficking victims

The global human trafficking market generates

$150 BILLION

annually.

There is an estimated

40.3 MILLION

victims of human trafficking in the world, 1 in 4 are children

You become more vulnerable to trafficking when your needs aren’t met. This is true of adults, and it’s especially true of children. Children living in foster care who feel abandoned, worthless, alone, and hopeless are easier to lure into trafficking and less likely to have people looking for them.

Only a very small percentage of trafficking victims are rescued, making it difficult to know the extent to which children in foster care are victimized. However, we can see from the demographics of those who are rescued that children in foster care–especially those in group homes–are at very high risk of being trafficked:

97%

In 2012, Connecticut reported 97% of sex trafficking victims were child wellfare involved.

60%

In 2013, 60% of children recovered from sex trafficking as part of a nationwide FBI raid in 70 cities were in foster care when they went missing.

55%

In Alameda County, 55% of children rescued from sex trafficking over a year were in group foster homes when they went missing

77%

In Los Angeles County, of all commercially sexually exploited girls, 77% were child welfare involved.

Foster Care to
Prison Pipeline

Children in foster care are much more likely than their peers to be involved in the criminal justice system as children and as adults.

1in4 enter the criminal
justice system
within two years of
leaving care
80% of foster
youth have significant
mental health issues
vs 20% of the general
population
90% with 5+ foster
‍placements will
‍enter the criminal
‍justice system
A cycle of trauma
and criminalization
"You may choose to look away, but you can never again say that you did not know."
–William Wilberforce

Join the Hope Army

Being a part of the Hope Army means joining a compassionate community united by a powerful mission: ensuring every child has the warmth and stability of a loving home. As a member of the Hope Army, you become an advocate, a voice that echoes with hope, love, and unwavering support for foster children. Your involvement signifies a commitment to making a tangible difference, whether through generous donations, heartfelt advocacy, or volunteering. In the Hope Army, every effort counts, every voice matters, and every contribution brings us closer to transforming lives and fulfilling the promise of a nurturing home for every child in need. Together, in solidarity and purpose, the Hope Army marches towards a future where every child thrives in the embrace of a loving family and community.

Until every child has a home

We exist to instill hope in children who have only known the intense instability of foster care by emulating the unconditional love of a healthy family to them.

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