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Child Abuse & Foster Care:

• In fiscal 2010/2011, there were over 36,000 reports of suspected child abuse, neglect or abandonment in Orange County. These children range in age from newborns to teens and come from every ethnic group in the county.
• Child abuse cases occur in every area in the County:
  North=32%, South=21%, West=17%, Central=26%, Out-of-County/Unknown=4%
• Approximately 10% of the most serious cases are admitted to the Orangewood Children’s Home (now called the Orangewood Children & Family Center).
• Over 3,400 children are dependents of the court and of those 2,500 children are in out-of-home care in an average month.
• Approximately 200-250 foster care teens each year emancipate or “age-out” of the dependency system at age 18.

Educational & Other Outcomes for Former Foster Youth (in California):

• 46% lack a high school degree versus 16% of the general population.
• Less than 10% who do graduate from high school go on to college. Of those, fewer than 2% receive a college degree.
• 65% emancipate (transition to adulthood) without a place to live.
• 70% of all state prison inmates were in foster care.
• 51% are unemployed within 2-4 years of emancipation.