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Category: National News

Washington, DC - At the heart of the American story is the simple truth that all children should have a fair chance at success, no matter who they are or where they come from. Central to this promise of opportunity is the love and support of a family – which all children deserve, but not enough have.

On any given day, there are over 400,000 children in our nation’s foster care system with over 100,000 waiting to be adopted. Every year, 23,000 of these youth will age out of the system never having found a permanent home. Young people who age out of foster care face a tough road: they are more likely to experience significant challenges with completing their education, obtaining a job, homelessness, maintaining financial security and staying out of the criminal justice system. A significant percentage of former foster youth suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. We also know that there continues to be a disproportionate representation of African-American and Native-American children and youth in foster care. The President believes that no child should have to beat the odds simply to get a good education, to live a productive life free from abuse and neglect and to pursue their dreams. And they certainly should not feel alone as they try.

Advances in technology have radically changed nearly every aspect of our lives—but for too many aspects of the foster care system, we’re stuck in the last century. President Obama believes that with enhanced commitment and coordination, the technology and child welfare sectors can work together to solve some of our most pressing issues.

Today, as a step to improve the lives of youth and families in the foster care system, to prevent more young people from entering the system, and to create better outcomes for those who age out, the White House, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Think of Us are hosting the first ever White House foster care and technology hackathon. This two-day long event during National Foster Care Month brings together child welfare leaders, non-profit organizations, philanthropies, attorneys and foster care families and alumni, as well as engineers, technologists and other leaders from the technology sector. At the convening, we will discuss ways to improve our foster care system through the use of technology and highlight best practices. Additionally, those involved with child welfare will have the opportunity to team up with technology experts to “hack” challenges in child welfare and explore 21st century solutions. Such challenges include:

The Administration and its partners are also proud to announce a number of new steps aimed to increase the use of technology and improve outcomes in the foster care system. Today’s announcements include:

To watch this event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live on May 26, 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET and May 27, 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM ET.