Healing Shouldn't Be an Afterthought
Many young people in foster care are dealing with anxiety, depression, and trauma, often without enough support to address it. FosterClub believes that real healing should be part of every young person's journey through care.
Why it Matters
Entering foster care is already a difficult experience. Foster youth face higher risks for mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Without the right support, these issues can get worse, affecting youth's future well-being and success. Unfortunately, many foster youth don’t get the specialized care they need because of barriers like placement instability and lack of resources. Addressing mental health needs early can help young people heal and thrive, improving their chances for a healthier, brighter future.
Quick Facts
- Up to 80% of foster youth experience serious mental health challenges—far higher than their peers. (NCSL)
- Frequent placement changes and past trauma make foster youth more likely to need emergency mental health care or hospitalization. (Vish et. al)
- Foster youth experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at a rate nearly 5 times higher than the general adult population. (NCSL)
- About 50% of children in foster care do not receive any specialty mental health services (SMHS), despite having high rates of trauma-related needs. (DHCS)
“Starting art therapy was transformational for me as someone who had difficulty vocalizing my experiences.”
— Former foster youth
Tools You Can Use
- Find Support: Access mental health resources and connect with local services through FosterClub's HelpHub.
- Support Foster Youth: Help foster parents recognize and respond to mental health challenges through the Foster Parent Training Portal and Youth Mental Health First Aid.
- Get Help Now: If you or someone you know is in crisis, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by call or text. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
How we're working on this issue
Family Voices United
Through this partnership, FosterClub works to improve child welfare by putting the voices of young people, families, and kinship providers at the center, including on issues of mental health.
Learn more about Family Voices United here.
National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council Priorities
Through our work with the National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council (NPC), FosterClub advocates for better mental health support and resources for youth in and from foster care. Check out NPC’s resources on this topic:
National Collaborative for Transition-Age Youth
As part of the National Collaborative for Transition-Age Youth, FosterClub partners with young people and public agencies to improve support for youth aging out of care, including access to mental health resources.
“Struggles will be inevitable, but being young, inexperienced and alone [while struggling] was crippling.”
— Rimy Morris, She/Her, Spent time in the Indiana foster care system
Want to Learn More?
How can child protection agencies
partner to address behavioral health? from Casey Family Programs
The Importance of a Trauma-Informed Child Welfare System, from the Child Welfare Information Gateway
Improving Outcomes for Young Adults and the Systems that Serve Them: A Playbook of Best Practices
Blogs on Mental Health
"Improving Mental Health and Well-Being for Foster Youth & Alumni": Expert Insights from Lived Experience Leaders
Promoting Peer Support in Child Welfare
FosterClub believes peer support programs are crucial for young people and their families. For youth, the ability to turn to peers who understand what they are going through is a vital lifeline. Peer support programs for young people can take many shapes: sometimes peer support is found through involvement in a Youth Advisory Board, other times it may include Peer...
Oregon Summit on Youth Well-Being
Advocating for Mental Health for Youth in Foster Care
That’s a Wrap!: Summer Season of Youth Camps, Conferences, + Retreats
When the school year winds down, FosterClub Lived Experience (LEx) Leaders are just getting started advocating for foster care reform, empowering their peers, and of course, having fun in the sun! Summer 2023 was quite a busy one for our LEx Leaders: They made new friends with other youth from care, went to camp, and gave peers and adults alike...
The Council Discusses Mental Health with the Administration for Children & Families
The National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council had the pleasure of meeting with key stakeholders from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) last week! Commissioner Jones-Gaston, Associate Commissioner Schomburg, and some of their key staffers engaged in dialogue with us about our mental health priority statements over the last 10 years, as well as what our current...