Umlaut Foundation wishes to take a moment to thank social workers and foster parents for constantly making sacrifices and efforts toward the wellbeing of foster children. The dedication required for these professions is equally rewarding as it is challenging. Everyone serving the foster care system open their hearts and arms to those who need it most by helping vulnerable children and creating a safe environment. Thank you.

Cozy living rooms, copious leftovers, lights and decorations, and warm family bonding—these feelings are often associated with the holidays. For foster children, however, the holiday season can be full of dread, anxiety, and guilt. Many foster youth, past and present, shared their perspectives on the emotions that spike during this season in FosterClub’s newsletter.

In this month’s article, I hope to guide you through dissecting and analyzing the numbers I have provided—let's see their significance in the context of the real world. Glancing over the statistics, you may notice some telling trends. Pennsylvania, for example, has nearly half the foster youth as Texas, but its ratio of foster youth to population is even more prominent. Then, D.C.'s numbers are minuscule and even decreasing. Its numbers are dwarfed in comparison to California, which brings about the question: do these statistics imply a shortcoming in California's system, or are these numbers inherent with its larger population?

While viewing things at a statewide scale is standard in data reports and analysis, it forces us to assume things about a place. This study by the ASPE does things differently; they categorize counties within states by their level of urbanization: primary urban, secondary urban, and non-urban. The categories are divided as follows; primary urban areas have the largest child welfare systems in the state, secondary urban areas are all other urban counties, and non-urban areas are all other counties. This study finds new trends, creating an interesting analysis of the American foster care system. Using a more comprehensive scale such as the one used by the ASPE lets us see the problems that American foster youth face. This proves that looking at things differently lets us understand them better.

The twenty-four-year-old Simone Biles is one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time. Having medaled five times in the Olympics一four gold and one bronze, Biles has suggested that Tokyo may be the finale of her career. While leaving the Olympics with a surprising withdrawal, Biles’ brave words and decisions drew the sympathy and support of many fellow athletes. This article will follow Simone Biles’ rise to success: her experience as a foster youth, the Tokyo Olympics and the reason for her withdrawal, and her impact on professional gymnastics.