Facts & Stats

Being in a safe, peaceful, and tranquil environment like Northern is essential to healing from the challenges and trauma our young people have experienced.

• Although housing costs in Philadelphia remained relatively low compared with other large cities in the Northeast, they were high for the nearly 23% of residents living below the poverty line ($25,750 for a household of four) and the tens of thousands more living just above it. (The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2023)
• 16.39% of youth (age 12-17) reported suffering from at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year. 59.8% of youth with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment. (Mental Health America, 2023)
• Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people age 15 to 24 in the U.S. Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. (UCLA Health, 2023)
• LGBTQ+ teens are six times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than non-LGBTQ+ identifying teens. (Mental Health America)
• Approximately 13,000 – 15,000 PA children are currently in foster care and part of the child welfare system. Between 400,000 – 500,000 children in the U.S. are in foster care each year. (Pennsylvania State Resource Family Association, 2023)
• 44% of high school students suffering from behavioral health issues drop out of school.
• 70% of children and teenagers in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health disorder.