The Numbers Behind The Need
What the Data Tells Us About Foster Care in Tennessee and Across the U.S.
Most people talk about foster care in broad terms. They know children need safe homes and that families and systems do their best in tough situations. But when you look at the data, the reality becomes much more urgent, especially here in Tennessee.
Tennessee Has One of the Highest Foster Care Entry Rates in the U.S.
In 2023, just over 5,000 children entered foster care in Tennessee. The National Council for Adoption reports this is 3.2 children per 1,000, significantly higher than the national average of 2.4. This gives Tennessee the tenth-highest entry rate in the country. By 2024, the number grew to nearly 9,000.
Sixty percent of those children in foster care experienced three or more placement changes, a rate consistently higher than the national average. Each move often means repacking their entire life into a trash bag again and again.
A 2024 study from Belmont University found that 70 to 80% of children leaving Tennessee’s foster care system do not get enough support, and many face homelessness, addiction, or imprisonment by age 21. In 2024, 854 young people in Tennessee aged out of foster care, turning 18 without support.
These are not just abstract numbers. They represent children in our communities, counties, neighborhoods, and schools.
The National Picture Is Just as Urgent
Tennessee’s story reflects a larger national crisis.
The latest AFCARS data for 2024 shows there are 328,947 children in foster care in the U.S. In that same year, 170,943 children entered care. That means nearly 171,000 children were removed from their homes in just one year.
Nationally, between 31% and 46% of youth who age out of foster care will experience homelessness by age 26, compared to a 4% lifetime rate for the general population. The path from foster care to homelessness is not inevitable, but it is well-documented and driven by a lack of stability, support, and connection.
Children who experience stability are more likely to succeed academically, emotionally, and socially. Small things that create consistency and ownership can have a lasting impact on a child’s sense of self-worth. Something as simple as having a quality bag of their own can provide comfort, organization, and dignity during moments that feel uncertain and overwhelming.
Solving the Problem. One County at a Time
Each of these statistics represents a child with a name, a story, and a future that is still being written. What this data doesn’t show is that these outcomes are set in stone. A small action can change a child's childhood and future in foster care.
That’s where My Bag My Story comes in.
May is Foster Care Awareness Month, and My Bag My Story is raising money for children across Tennessee.
Our My County My Story campaign aims to raise $237,500, enough to ensure no child in Tennessee has to pack their life in a trash bag. Instead, they will receive a high-quality backpack or duffel bag of their own.
There are three simple ways to get involved:
- DONATE. Any amount helps. Every dollar goes directly toward bags for children in Tennessee's foster care system.
- SHARE. Spread the word about the My County, My Story campaign on social media.
- SPONSOR. If you're in a position to do so, a $2,500 sponsorship covers every foster child in a county for an entire year. Think of the difference you’ll make.
The work of restoring dignity to children in foster care does not always require sweeping policy reform or grand gestures. Sometimes it starts with something you can hold in your hands. Because the bag matters. And so does every child who carries it.