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May National Foster Month
CRITICAL INFORMATION WE ALL NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT FOSTER CARE

SOS is the largest foster care provider in Broward County serving an average of 70 children on any given day. Our children, ages 2 – 18 years, all have a history of abuse, neglect or abandonment.  We have served over 600 children over the past 25 years since opening in 1993, and provide the unique feature of keeping siblings together once they are placed in foster care. Our 13 family-style homes around a cul-de-sac in Coconut Creek are each staffed by a full time live in houseparent, and we offer a variety of support services and enrichment opportunities allowing our children to have a special childhood where they can heal and grow into productive adults.

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With over 440,000 children nationally in the foster care system at any given time, and a new child placed into care every 2 minutes, the need for support services, essential items and foster parents is high. Foster children have an uphill battle with startling statistics to overcome and need the support of our communities. National Foster Care Month calls attention to these children as we work towards solutions to improve their lives

THE NUMBERS ARE ALARMING

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  • The number of children entering care is escalating at an alarming rate.  There are over 7,000 children currently in the foster care system in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties alone.

  • 65% of foster children experience 7 or more school changes before 12th grade

  • Less than 50% of youth in foster care graduate high school

  • 47% of children who grew up in foster care are unemployed at age 26

  • Foster children suffer PTSD at more than twice the rate of US war veterans

  • 1 in 5 foster children experience homelessness within 1 year of aging out of care

  • At ages 17 & 18, one-third of young women in foster care are pregnant or parenting

  • More than 70% of inmates incarcerated were at one point in the foster care system. The Florida Department of Corrections notes the annual cost to house an inmate is $19,506.

When a child arrives at SOS this is when the healing begins.  We provide tutoring, therapy, and essential life skills…we give children the life every child deserves. We rely on the support and generosity of our community.”

 

SOS DEFIES THE ODDS

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  • 100% of SOS high school students have graduated for the past ten years in a row.

  • 95% of SOS alumni are employed and/or enrolled in college.

  • SOS Children receive bi-weekly tutoring in reading and math.

  • The annual cost of raising a child at SOS is $21,000

  • SOS Children’s Villages Florida addresses the issue of homelessness and other negative post foster care experiences through support of the “Next Steps” program which is available to young adults who have aged out of foster care at 18.

  • Several SOS alumni have received bachelor’s, master’s degrees, and law degrees; or skilled trade certifications.  Many have assumed leadership roles in the South Florida community where they serve as advocates for children in foster care.

Only 50% of our total budget is provided by public funds.

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Chairman’s Circle members provide our Village with the

remaining 50%. The work we do would not be possible

with out our committed donors...

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