Let It Be Us Hosts Ladies Leadership Luncheon to Highlight Risks Young Girls Face in Foster Care
October 30, 2024
Let It Be Us, a nonprofit based in Barrington and a licensed Illinois child welfare agency, hosted a Ladies Leadership Luncheon earlier this month at Barrington Hills Country Club to bring local female leaders together and discuss “Girls in Foster Care: Their Outcomes and Their Future.”
Founder Susan McConnell shared how young girls in foster care lack access to quality education, medical and mental health care, stable relationships, and an overall sense of security. Other speakers included Senator Mary Edly Allen, a current Illinois legislator focused on girls in foster care, and Asia Gentry, Deputy Chief of Staff for DCFS.
The luncheon shared the following key facts:
Only 56% of foster youth in Illinois graduate high school, compared with 87% of Illinois students overall.
Girls in foster care are twice as likely to become pregnant by age 19, with many experiencing repeat pregnancies before 19.
70% of children and teens in foster care in the U.S. have experienced physical and sexual abuse, with girls facing higher rates of sex trafficking, forced prostitution, and sexual abuse, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Up to 60% of child sex trafficking victims have been in foster care or are currently in the foster care system, according to the National Foster Youth Institute.
Research shows females in foster care are more likely to run away.
Let It Be Us has several upcoming events and initiatives to advocate for and support Illinois children in foster care.
Candy Cottage for a Cause
Friday, Dec. 13 (4 p.m. family sitting / 7:30 p.m. adults-only sitting)
Toy Drive for Children in Foster Care
Dec. 12 and 13 (drop off at Barrington’s White House)
For more information, a full list of events, and ways to support the cause, visit https://letitbeus.org/ and follow on Instagram @letitbeus.
Photo credit: Linda Barrett for Let It Be Us
