Fewer Than 8,000 NYC Kids in Foster Care, an All-Time Low
The number of city kids in foster care dipped to an all-time low last year, falling to under 8,000, New York City officials announced Thursday.
The results from the city’s annual foster care census showed a precipitous decline from the 1990s, when there were 50,000 kids in foster care, and a continued improvement from 2010, when there were 17,000.
Officials attribute the drop to increased investment in services like mental health and substance abuse counseling for parents under investigation by the agency that can help children stay in their homes. The agency is offering these “preventive services” to 24,000 families, officials said.
Note: The New York Foundling is one of the city’s largest preventive services providers.
