Interracial Marriage
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The Foster Care System is a familiar phrase that is often shrouded in ambiguity. This family structure can be understood as a safe haven where children can lead normal lives despite their misfortunes. To others it is a residence that only magnifies their familial misfortunes. The Foster Care System is defined as 24-Hour substitute care for children outside their own homes. The framework of the Foster Care System includes family foster homes, relative foster homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities, group homes, child-care institutions, and pre-adoptive homes. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that as of September 30, 2001, there were an estimated 542,000 children in foster care in the United States. Of the 542,000, 48 percent were in foster family homes (non-relative), 24 percent were in relative foster homes, 18 percent were in group homes or institutions, 4 percent were in pre-adoptive homes, and 6 percent were in other placement types. The ethnic configuration of these children mentioned above are as follows: 38 percent were Black/Non-Hispanic; 37 percent were White/Non-Hispanic; 17 percent were Hispanic; and 8 percent were other races/ethnic origins. Of these, 52% were male, while 48% were female. There has been little research done on the transition from childhood to adulthood on these individuals, however three key variables play a principle role in just how cumbersome this phase can be.
Class and race are major contributors to not only the disbursement of children in the foster care system, but also how well they are able to become productive members of society after they have aged out of this system. Educational Attainment is furthermore a measure of how well these displaced children are able to maneuver once they have been expunged from the Child Welfare System. The above statistics show a severe...
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