Please consider a donation to the Boys Town National Scholarship Fund to help under-served young people attend college.

The most important barrier to educational attainment and high school graduation that is unique to foster youth is the frequent disruptions of their education by changes in school placement.

In 2020, only 55% of foster youth completed High School compared to 87% of the general population. Only 4% of foster care alumni have achieved a post-secondary degree.

On any given day, there are 425,000 children in foster care in the United States. In 2019, 675,000 children spent time in foster care. Of these, over 71,000 had their mother and father’s parental rights legally terminated by the court(s) system. In 2019, 32,000 youth aged out of the foster care system. Of these, 20,000 aged out without having a relationship with any permanent family.

The statistics are bleak. Within two years of aging out of the foster care system:

•More than 90% of youth in foster care with five or more moves will become involved in the juvenile justice system. By age 17, over half of youth in foster care experienced an arrest, conviction, or overnight stay in a correctional facility.

•One in four will experience homelessness. Seventy-one percent of the girls will become pregnant, half of them by age 19.

•They usually lack access to family-provided shelter or appropriate adult advocacy. They tend to have inadequate college preparation or a system which provides them with the remedial education needed to gain parity with their peers.

Every year, thousands of young people age out of the foster care system without a family to support them. These individuals face unique challenges as they navigate the transition to adulthood, including finding stable housing, employment, and education. But with your help, we can provide these young adults with the resources and support they need to succeed.

Join us in helping these deserving individuals by making a donation today. Your contribution can help provide job training, educational opportunities, and other vital resources that can make a huge difference in their lives. Together, we can make a positive impact on the lives of these young people and help them achieve their full potential.

Donate now and show your support for young people aging out of foster care!