The foster care system is a way to take care of kids when their own parents can’t for reasons like abuse or neglect. They live with foster parents or in group homes until they can go back to their families or get adopted. It’s meant to keep them safe and cared for but that’s not always the case. Most people overlook the foster care system because it’s not a big concern in the nation. It’s overshadowed by more main stream problems we have in America and it has a long lasting effect on children across the country. When I was younger I had a friend who was in the shelter and placed in a group home. He was depressed when he came to school and had anxiety and fear of abandonment. His mom couldn’t care for him for she gave him up and he didn’t have much to eat on a daily and felt mundane because of the loneliness.There were and are many more kids like him that go through the same thing. The question How does the foster care system affect mental illness rates in children deserves a prominent answer because I believe it affects children severely and it catches up to them in the long run and into adulthood. In my research I  expect  to find the cause  of depression for foster children and the things leading up to them being in group homes.The percentage of children in America who suffer from mental illness is something else I’m eager to learn. Mental illness that includes depression,  anxiety and fear of abandonment is prominent in kids especially those even  in the foster care system and I’m looking forward to learning if that trickles into when they become an adult. Would the trauma of them not having a family or a home affect their lifestyle and the way of living when they reach adulthood and start a family of their own potentially.