The Bigger Picture
Over a 10 year period, more than 300,000 youth have left foster care without the support needed to successfully transition to adulthood. Total cost to society: Nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars.
This issue brief highlights the financial price tag to taxpayers of poor outcomes among youth exiting foster care. It analyzes costs in three areas: education, parenthood and justice system involvement. The findings deliver a clear and compelling call to action: Supporting these vulnerable men and women is a smart investment. Even more, it’s an opportunity taxpayers can’t afford to miss.
How much would our society save if youth aging out of foster care did as well as non-foster youth? The answer is shocking. Nearly $8 billion saved for each annual wave of young people exiting foster care.