chuka_lis

The number of children (under age 18) in the United States (2010) is at an all-time high of 74.2 million. But, the share of the national population who are children is at an all time low of 24%.

What is the racial/ethnic diversity of children in the United States?

Racial diversity¹ for children under age 18 in 2008:

• 56% - White
• 14% - Black or African American
• 1% - American Indian & Alaska Native
• 4% - Asian
• 22% Hispanic or Latino
• 0% - Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander
• 3% - Two or more races

What are the economic conditions of children and families in the United States?

• 17.6% of children under age 18 are living in poverty.¹
• 8.5% of children under age 18 are living in extreme poverty (income below 50% of poverty level).²
• In 2006, 40% of children under age 18 were in low-income families.

How many children with disabilities are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Parts B and C¹?

During the fall 2004 school year,

• 701,949 children with disabilities between ages 3 to 5 years received services under IDEA Part B.
• 6,118,437 children ages 6 to 21 years received services under IDEA Part B.
• 282,733 children ages birth to 2 years received early intervention services under IDEA Part C. This number represents approximately 2.3% of the total population of infants and toddlers in 2004.

Numbers of kids in foster care for fiscal years 2011 to 2015 ranges from 397 301 to 427 910 kids. Most of kids are in non relative foster care (45%). 30% for relative foster care, 6%-group home.

Children may become missing due to abduction by nonfamily members or abduction by family members. Children may become missing as a result of running away from home. Children may also become missing involuntarily for reasons other than abduction such as becoming lost, injured or under other circumstances. The FBI maintains comprehensive statistics regarding the number of children and adults entered by law enforcement agencies into the National Crime Information Center’s Missing Person File each year. In 2014 there were 466,949 entries made by law enforcement for those younger than 18. 52%
(635,155 for all ages).
The most frequent types of cases reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children^® are:

• Runaways.
• Family abductions.
• Lost, injured or otherwise missing children.

The least frequent cases reported to NCMEC are nonfamily abductions.

For 2014 among missing persons under 18 
ENDANGERED (who is missing under circumstances indicating that his/her physical safety may be in danger) -9,770,
NVOLUNTARY (who is missing under circumstances indicating that the disappearance may not have been voluntary, i.e., abduction or kidnapping.)-  4,806.

other article:
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, roughly 800,000 children are reported missing each year in the United States -- that's roughly 2,000 per day. Of those, there are 115 child "stranger abduction" cases each year, which means the child was taken by an unknown person.

The National Runaway Switchboard estimates that on any given night there are approximately 1.3 million homeless youth living unsupervised on the streets, in abandoned buildings, with friends or with strangers. It is estimated that 5,000 unaccompanied youth die each year as a result of assault, illness, or suicide.

Studies Have Shown That:

• One in seven young people between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away>
• Youth age 12 to 17 are more at risk of homelessness than adults
• 75 percent of runaways are female
• Estimates of the number of pregnant homeless girls are between 6 and 22 %
• 46 percent of runaway and homeless youth reported being physically abused, 38 percent reported being emotionally abused , and 17 percent reported being forced into unwanted sexual activity by a family or household member
• 75 percent percent of homeless or runaway youth have dropped out or will drop out of school

According to National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 1 of 6 from 18500 reported runaways for 2016 (86% of them were in the care of social services or foster care) , were likely sex trafficking victims.