Approximately 50,000 children are adopted from public agencies in the United States each year, many of whom were placed in foster care as infants. But the likelihood of adoption decreases for children entering the foster care system at older ages. Children placed in foster care around the age of 8 or 9 see only a 10 percent chance of adoption; the rate falls to less than 1 percent for teens.

The majority of older children placed in foster care are subsequently reunified with a parent or relative. But for older children who are not returned to their parents, likely outcomes include aging out of foster care, running away, and entering the juvenile justice system.

Panelists will discuss how best to serve the permanency needs of older youth, focusing on where adoption fits as a permanency goal, youth perspectives on placements and permanency, the availability of post-adoption services, and concurrent planning for children in their pre-teen years.

Speakers:

• Rudy Estrada, LGBTQ Coordinator, New York City Administration for Children's Services
• Madeleine Krebs, Clinical Coordinator, Center for Adoption Support and Education
• Karin Malm, Research Associate, Urban Institute's Labor, Human Services, and Population Center
• Britany Orlebeke, Senior Researcher, Chapin Hall Center for Children
• Moderator: Laura Sessions Stepp, Reporter, The Washington Post