While the foster care system is meant to protect children from abuse and neglect from birth parents, foster care child sexual abuse is a devastating reality. These children are sometimes left in even more vulnerable and traumatized states in foster homes. The foster care system is an easy place for predators to abuse children. It’s underfunded, understaffed, and often lacks the oversight necessary to prevent this abuse.

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Though there are many incredible foster parents out there, the minority who do abuse children must be stopped. Predators, including both foster fathers and foster mothers, recognize the access they have to foster care children. These adults are responsible for protecting them, usually because their biological parents failed to do so, yet too often they are abusers themselves.  Adult children or relatives of the Foster Parents also have unfiltered access to the children and are often left with the Foster children unattended and abuse occurs.

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Why are foster care children at a higher risk of being sexually abused?

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Children in the foster care system are at a higher risk of being sexually abused because bad actors take advantage of a system that is meant to protect children. The problem is exacerbated by  the lack of oversight by the agencies that negligently place children in unsafe homes. This lack of oversight stems from a variety of factors, including:

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• Lack of funding. The foster care system is funded by the federal government that provides funds to states to administer these child welfare programs. The organizations themselves, however, are non-profit state-licensed organizations. Neither state nor federal governments allocate enough funding for the non-profit organizations to implement better, safer, and more effective processes.

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• Lack of extensive background checks and candidate screenings. Because of the lack of funding and urgency for foster parents to care for foster kids, the agencies often fail to conduct thorough background checks on the adult volunteers. The agencies have a duty to complete thorough background checks, and by failing to do so, they can potentially be liable for any injuries that happen to the foster child.

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• Lack of staffing. Understaffing in the foster care system makes it challenging  to operate each organization in a way that adequately prevents abuse.

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These factors all play a role in why foster care children are at a higher risk of child sexual abuse. With better tools, specifically oversight and background checks, the foster care system could prevent a lot of this abuse.

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What is the rate of sexual abuse in foster care?

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While the exact numbers are unknown, as many incidents of child sexual abuse in foster care go unreported, various studies have produced startling results. In one study of girls in foster care who exhibited sexually abusive and aggressive behaviors, 81% reported that they were sexually abused in foster care. 68% of the girls in the study stated that they were abused by more than one individual.

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Other reports based on surveys that go back for decades report that anywhere from 25% to 40% of former foster care children experienced abuse or neglect e in the system.

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What should you do if you were sexually abused in foster care?

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If you were sexually abused in foster care, you do not have to go through the healing process alone. All children deserve to grow up in a safe environment, though we recognize that does not always happen. We compassionately fight for our clients’ rights and help them receive the justice they deserve.

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Many states have changed their statutes of limitations, allowing victims to pursue claims regarding their allegations of abuse, even if the abuse happened years ago. Some states, including New York, New Jersey, and California, have created ‘lookback windows’ to support survivors and allow them to file claims, no matter what their ages are or when the abuse happened. However, the deadline for filing these claims is set to run out soon

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We are honored to be the voice of many people who experienced child sexual abuse in foster care. Fill out the form below to learn about how we can help you.