African American children are a minority in the population, but a majority under guardianship.

• There are 1.2 million young people under the age of 18 in Minnesota; 5 percent of that number are African American.
• As of September 2002, 1,505 children of all races were under state guardianship; of that number, 56 percent were children of color.

• Of the total number of children of color under state guardianship, 392 are in need of adoptive homes immediately.  The remaining 445 are in pre-adoptive homes, long-term foster care or have opted not to be adopted.
• Of the 392 children of color in need of homes:
  • 57 percent are boys and 43 percent are girls;
  • 88 percent live in the Twin Cities metro area and 12 percent live in greater Minnesota;
  • 65 percent are part of a sibling group that would like to remain together;
  • 60 percent have been chronically neglected or abused;
  • 44 percent have been diagnosed with a psychological or medical disability;
  • 22 percent are under 6 years old;
  • 40 percent are 6 to 11 years old;
  • 38 percent are 12 to 18 years old.

• For the year 2001, the average:
  • Age an African American child became available for adoption was 5 years old.
  • Amount of time an African American child spent waiting for an adoptive family was two years.
  • Number of foster homes an African American child was placed in before adoption was approximately seven.
  • Size of an African American sibling group waiting for adoption was three children.