THE CAUSE

FOSTER CHILDREN

Currently, in Orange County there are approximately 2,800 foster children that have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment.  They didn't have a choice of the family in which they were born into, but statistics tell us that without intervention, the future of these kids is not bright.

Within 2-4 years of aging out:
   *   40% of are on public assistance or incarcerated
   *   50% will be homeless
   *   95-99% will not graduate from college
   *   They are 3x more likely to have a child by the age of 19

Mariners has a 20+ year history of positively impacting Orange County's foster care system. We aim to eradicate the above stats and to change the trajectory of the foster care system by working in three areas:

We work to prevent children from entering into foster care or suffering from neglect and abuse in the first place.

We work with children in transition (foster care) while the state works to find permanent solutions. Our focus is on & training foster families, as well as providing support and resources to all facets of the foster care system.

As children in foster care transition to permanent placements (reunification, kinship, guardianship, emancipation) we empower them to live as responsible adults.