Child Welfare Needs

Child Welfare Needs

The majority of youth that Geneva serves are from neighborhoods that are characterized by poverty, violence, limited resources and little education. According to a recent study conducted by Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, youth that are turning 18 or "aging out" of the child welfare system are not prepared to live independently and are at an elevated risk of substance abuse, severe mental and physical illnesses, unemployment, homelessness, teen pregnancy, victimization to violent crimes, and incarceration.

Each year 20,000 youth leave the Illinois child welfare system and attempt to live independently. Statistics show that less than half of these youth aspire to a college education. Of that number, it is unlikely that many will be successful given the educational challenges. Over 75% of youth receiving services at Geneva tested below a 6th grade reading level and must attend school at an alternative educational facility (special education or GED program) due to behavioral/emotional problems that occur at four times the national average. Approximately 42% of youth report that they have a mental illness (including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, etc.) and 8% state that they have spent time in a psychiatric hospital within the last year.

In the reporting of crimes and delinquency, Chapin Hall notes that Illinois "consistently exceeds national norms in terms of the frequency of delinquency and that the differences are particularly marked regarding theft, serious fighting, causing severe injury and running away." Over 71% of youth report that they have been the perpetrator of a crime and over 46% state that they have been a crime victim.