Send us Fan Mail Every two minutes, a child enters the foster care system in the United States. Right now, nearly 329,000 children are in foster care nationwide—and roughly 10,000 of them are right here in Michigan. These are children who entered care through no fault of their own. They didn't choose instability. They didn't choose trauma. They didn't choose to be separated from everything familiar. But here's the part that should keep us all up at night: Michigan has only about 6,000 licensed foster homes for those 10,000 children. The math doesn't work. And when it doesn't, children pay the price. May is National Foster Care Month. This year's theme from the Children's Bureau is "Strengthening Minds. Uplifting Families." It's a recognition that foster care isn't just about placement—it's about healing, connection, and building the foundations for lifelong wellbeing. In this episode of The Home Health Care Today Show, Dr. Cleamon Moorer, Jr. sits down with a leader from Michigan's largest private foster care organization to talk about what it really takes to transform outcomes for children in care. Our Guest: 🏠 Jennifer Stevens – Director of Foster Care, Samaritas Jennifer Stevens leads foster care operations for Samaritas, the largest private foster care organization in Michigan. Samaritas has been serving Michigan's children and families since 1934—ninety years of transforming lives—and today supports more than 800 children every single day. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science from Wayne State University and a Master of Arts from Eastern Michigan University. She believes deeply in the power of family—biological, foster, and chosen—to change outcomes for children, and in the work it takes to bring families back together when possible. Topics Covered: ✅ Why foster care must be understood as a public health issue ✅ The connection between childhood trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and lifelong health ✅ What happens to children when there aren't enough foster families ✅ The staggering outcomes for youth who age out of care without a permanent family ✅ What it actually takes to become a foster parent—and the support Samaritas provides ✅ Why kinship care matters and how we can better support relatives who step up ✅ How communities can support children in foster care even if they can't foster ✅ Where foster care fits into whole-person, whole-community health Key Statistics: 💡329,000 children currently in U.S. foster care 💡10,000 children in foster care in Michigan with only ~6,000 licensed foster homes 💡Every 2 minutes, a child enters foster care in the U.S. 💡51% of children in child welfare have experienced 4+ Adverse Childhood Experiences (vs. 13% outside the system) 💡Nearly 90% of children in foster care have experienced trauma 💡Children in foster care are 5x more likely to have anxiety, depression, or behavioral challenges 💡15,000+ youth age out of foster care each year without a permanent family 💡22-30% of youth who age out experience homelessness 💡Only 3% of youth who age out earn a college degree 💡Over 40% of youth who exit care at 17 or older are incarcerated by age 20 💡39% of children in care are now placed with relatives or kin 💡45% of children who exit foster care reunify with their families 💡Samaritas has served Michigan since 1934—90 years of service National Foster Care Month 2026 Theme: "Strengthening Minds. Uplifting Families." The Children's Bureau focuses on strengthening the capacity of families to nurture and provide for the mental health and well-being needs of their children, prioritizing foster care as a service to families, and promoting reunification. National Foster Care Day: May 5, 2026 – Wear blue to sh
