Vulnerable Child Crisis

This document was created in partnership with the Wall Movement, written primarily by Natalie Larson.

Abortion, human trafficking and deficiencies in the foster care system have led to an increase in vulnerable children both globally and domestically. With the number of abortions per year in the U.S. alone equating to one baby aborted per minute, children accounting for one in four of the 40 million people enslaved today worldwide, and 60% of child sex trafficking victims coming from the child welfare system, it is time to address what has now become a Vulnerable Child Crisis. 

Abortion

The unborn are the most vulnerable children among us. Mothers who abort are often in vulnerable positions and some are legally children themselves. In this way, abortion can doubly victimize vulnerable children. The Church is the solution. Not only in adopting babies who would otherwise be aborted, but in supporting mothers to raise their babies themselves whenever possible. 

  • 73 million babies are aborted per year, worldwide1.
  • 862,320 annual abortions in the U.S. equates to more than one baby aborted per minute2. 
  • The U.S. abortion rate (number of abortions per 1,000 women) is almost four times higher for African American women than for Caucasian women3. 
  • The U.S. abortion ratio (number of abortions per 100 pregnancies) is highest among adolescents (19 years old and younger)4.  
  • 75% of abortion patients are low income or live below the federal poverty line5. 

Human Trafficking

The rise of human trafficking globally and domestically has increased the vulnerability of children. Many children are being enslaved in forced labor, forced marriage, and commercial sex. The Church is the solution, not only by taking part in identifying and freeing these children, but by providing safe homes for them through adoption when needed. Also, we must confront societal norms such as pornography that lead to the commerical exploitation of children. 

  • One in four of the 40 million people currently enslaved worldwide are children6. 
  • $150 billion a year is generated globally from human trafficking7. 
  • The top three nations where human trafficking victims originate are the United States, Mexico and the Philippines8. 
  • Over 1 million children are victims of commercial sexual exploitation each year, worldwide6. 
  • 300,000 U.S. children are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation each year8. 

Foster Care 

When families are unable to raise their children, foster care is often the only option. Children in foster care are more vulnerable to child trafficking, juvenile delinquency, and early pregnancy ending in abortion or further involvement in the foster care system. The solution is for the Church not only to adopt children out of the foster care system, but to foster children and fight for redemption and reuniting of families. 

  • Over 400,000 children are currently in the U.S. foster care system9. 
  • 60% of child sex trafficking victims have been in the child welfare system10. 
  • 90% of children placed in five or more foster homes enter the juvenile justice system11. 
  • 77% of girls in foster care become pregnant before the age of nineteen (over twice the rate as girls not in foster care)12. 
  • If one family in one out of three churches in the U.S. adopted, there would be no children waiting to be adopted in the foster care system (currently there are over 122,000 foster care children waiting to be adopted and 380,000 U.S. churches)9,13. 

References: 

1 “Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion Worldwide.” Guttmacher Institute. July 2020. Accessed June 23, 2021. https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide. 

2 “Abortion statistics United States Data and Trends.” National Right to Life. January 2018. Accessed June 22, 2021. https://nrlc.org/uploads/factsheets/FS01AbortionintheUS.pdf

3 Fisher, John W., James L. Sherley, and James Studnicki. “Perceiving and Addressing The Pervasive Racial Disparity in Abortion.” Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology. August 18, 2020. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7436774/

4 Jatlaoui, Tara C., Katherine Kortsmit, Michele G. Mandel, Titilope Oduyebo,Emily Petersen, Jennifer A. Reeves, and Maura K. Whitman. “Abortion Surveillance – United States, 2018.” MMWR Surveill Summ. November 27, 2020. Accessed September 15, 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33237897/

5 Jerman, Jenna, Rachel K. Jones, and Tsuyoshi Onda. “Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients in 2014 and Changes Since 2008.” Guttmacher Institute. May 2016. Accessed June 23, 2021. https://www.guttmacher.org/report/characteristics-us-abortion-patients-2014 

6 “Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage.” International Labour Office and Walk Free Foundation. 2017. Accessed July 19, 2021. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_575479.pdf 

7 “Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labour.” International Labour Office. 2014. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_norm/—declaration/documents/publication/wcms_243391.pdf 

8 “Trafficking in Persons Report.” United States of America Department of State. June 2019. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019-Trafficking-in-Persons-Repo

9 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) FY 2019 data. June 23, 2020. Accessed October 17, 2021.https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcarsreport27.pdf

10 Miller, Jessica. “Foster Care and Human Trafficking.” Voices for Children. January 30, 2020. Accessed October 17, 2021. https://www.speakupnow.org/foster-care-and-human-trafficking/ 

11 Yamat, Ashly Marie. “Foster-Care-to-Prison Pipeline.” Justice Policy Journal. Vol. 17, No. 2. Fall 2020. Accessed November 1, 2021. http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/the_foster_care_to_prison_pipeline.pdf 

12 Boonstra, Heather D. “Teen Pregnancy Among Young Women In Foster Care: A Primer.” Guttmacher Institute. June 1, 2011. Accessed October 17, 2021. https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2011/06/teen-pregnancy-among-young-women-foster-care-primer#2 

13 Brauer, Simon G. “How Many Congregations Are There? Updating a Survey-Based Estimate.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Vol. 56, Issue 2. August 14, 2017. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jssr.12330?author_access_token=6TIAJ0plWmfoT8CKXywoOYta6bR2k8jH0KrdpFOxC64MqjczIASPsUhKK26SvkbhsyE2e7kPD7R5ARZtNTKTgqA0DSGuI7VEqdYWfpHAD5r-ulyLlGbeH3eaMrTFqqcF 

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