Children With Disabilities In Foster Care Less Likely To Achieve Permanency

Children with disabilities who enter foster care are at higher risk of negative outcomes, and the risk varies by disability type. They are less likely to exit foster care to permanent placement and have higher mortality rates than foster youth without disabilities.

For the 3.2 million children ages 0 to 16 who entered foster care between fiscal year 2005 and 2019, those with intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD), or visual/hearing impairment, or emotional disturbance were less likely to achieve permanency. Children with these disabilities were more likely to age out, transfer to another agency, or run away from . . .