Nearly 1800 foster children in Georgia reported missing over past 4 years, new report says

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U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and Covenant House Executive Director Dr. Alie Redd spoke about an ongoing investigation into Georgia's foster care system.

Credit: Sarah Kallis/GPB News

An analysis from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found that a staggering number of children in Georgia’s foster care system were reported missing. 

1,790 children in the care of Georgia’s Department of Family and Child Services were reporting missing between 2018 and 2022, according to the report.

"These numbers are deeply troubling because these are more than numbers. These are children," U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff said. He chairs a bipartisan U.S. Senate Human Rights subcommittee tasked with investigating Georgia’s foster care system.

Speaking at Covenant House, a youth homeless shelter in Atlanta, Ossoff said children reported missing are more vulnerable to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

"This is about human beings. This is about vulnerable children who deserve protection from abuse, who deserve sanctuary from neglect. And that is why I will continue, relentlessly, to investigate failures to protect the most vulnerable children," he said. 

The Senate Human Rights subcommittee will provide recommendations for the state’s foster care system once it completes its investigation.