Homelessness Among Adults Raised as Foster Children: A Survey of Drop-in Center Users

74 homeless persons were asked if they had ever been in foster care. Twelve (16%) answered affirmatively. Compared with the estimated baseline of adults who had been in foster care in the same locality, these homeless persons reported histories of foster care at four times the base rate in the general population. This finding suggests that children in foster care are at risk of serious dysfunction as adults.