Why We’re Here

According to the National Foster Youth Insitute, every day, around 400,000 children are in foster care across the United States. These vulnerable children, having already endured some form of neglect, abuse, abandonment or poverty, are then further subjected to the instability of the foster care system.

20,000 young adults will age out of the foster care system each year. Often, requiring them to immediately provide for themselves in all areas of life.

Of the young adults who age out of foster care:

  • Only 50% will have earned a high school diploma, as dropout rates are 3x higher than the average low-income child.

    and

  • About only 3% will earn a 4-year college degree.

Additionally:

  • 20% will experience homelessness by age 18.

  • 25% will experience homelessness by the age of 22.

  • 25% will be incarcerated within two years of aging out.

  • 50% of the young women in foster care will become pregnant before the age of 19.

Given these staggering statistics and the daunting challenges faced by young adults aging out of the foster care system, the Ogden Foster Scholarship Program stands as a beacon of hope and support, aiming to help foster youths defy the odds and break the cycle of poverty, homelessness, and incarceration.