Black Girl Disappears In Foster Care, After a tragic event breaks her family apart, a teenage girl abandons her dreams of a music career and is thrown into the foster care system. 7, and authorities say Thousands of children flee their foster homes each year, and some of them don’t come back for weeks or months — or at all. — Above video: Your Friday headlines. Angelo A. Jamerika provides insight on the topic by Statistics Thousands of Black women and girls go missing each year, yet their stories rarely reach national headlines. com The new Lifetime movie focuses on a Black mother begging local media to cover her daughter’s disappearance. Our Black Girls centers on the often-untold stories of Black girls and women who have gone missing or, in some cases, were found dead under Concluding Comments Black foster youth face compounded challenges due to systemic racism and the trauma of foster care placements. foster care system, and African-American kids make up nearly 40 percent of that number. Advocates are working to improve care for Black children. Theresa places her narrative against the backdrop of the civil rights movement in blue-collar Buffalo, where mixed-race foster homes were almost A 12-year-old girl who was reported missing Saturday night near Minnehaha Falls, which prompted wide-ranging search efforts Tuesday afternoon, Two children are missing after police believe their birth mother abducted them outside their foster home in Los Angeles. The Diaries African Americans account for roughly 13% of the US population but nearly 40% of persons gone missing. This means that the negative impacts of We’ve compiled a list of missing Black girls under the age of 18 who have disappeared across several states in America, and any details we know regarding The foster care data includes, but is not limited to, numbers entering and exiting foster care, their ages and race/ethnicity, and characteristics such as One of the biggest mysteries in all of South Dakota — the unknown fate of 9-year-old Serenity Dennard — elicits one singular emotion more than any In light of their higher fatalities, the abuse and neglect of Black children may already be underreported and underinvestigated — even before we Katrice Taylor, 14, went missing from a Syosset foster care facility on Long Island on Monday, Nov. In 2022, Utah deputies made an astonishing discovery after approaching a man who was cold and down It can be extra hard to come across things that may seem small, like a lack of hair care products. Her family is urgently seeking help, Two children who disappeared from their foster home in the early hours of Thursday morning have been found, the Los Angeles Police Department The two are among the estimated 64,000 Black girls and women across the United States that have gone missing. One Another Atlanta woman, Bridgette Griffin, has adopted a 3-year-old Black girl from foster care and been a foster parent to many other children, Discover the challenges faced by Black youth in the foster care system, and how organizations are working to provide support and resources for But the misplaced angst over that shift exposed a separate, more angst-appropriate truth: Thousands of children, mostly black and Latino, are Last month, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released an age-progressed photo of a 10-year-old South Dakota girl who Black adults also are the least likely to agree that the foster care system supports children in need of care. C. It explores the child welfare system, how Teen Who Was in Foster Care Raises Money to Help Black Girls in System Receive Hair Products Kaylee Thomas is collecting 50 baskets filled with Interactive Search Missing Children Poster Map Welcome to the NCMEC Poster Map, where you can explore and share information to help bring missing children After her own experience with hidden foster care, Aubrey Edwards-Luce hopes the Children's Bureau can better support kin caregivers and promote racial Nonwhite children are overrepresented in foster care and are more likely to age out rather than be placed with permanent families. Two former foster children, clothing entrepreneur Tony Chapter 2 | Against the odds, one teen rescues her sisters from foster care Family members who take in a relative's kids face unique challenges. Tiffany Foster vanished after she left home to go grocery shopping on March 1, 2021. The Felix Organization Foster youth can hide their foster care status, but Black foster youth cannot hide their skin. A 6-year-old girl was removed from the California home of the foster family she has lived with for four years because she has a tiny sliver of Native Murder of Harmony Montgomery Harmony Renee Montgomery (June 7, 2014 – disappeared c. Aaliyah Godfrey, 16, disappeared Tuesday night from the North Georgia Angel House Foster care can present unique challenges, and it is crucial to address the specific needs and experiences of Black Americans within the system. Issues surrounding the disproportionate representation of African-American children in foster care are pervasive, continuing, and complex. Ma’Khia Bryant was charging at two young women with a knife, police body camera video footage shows, when an officer arrived and fatally shot her outside the foster home she had been More than 10 percent of children who go missing from foster care or group homes aren't reported to law enforcement, a new federal audit has To address the multitude of reasons Black girls and women go missing requires supporting organizations committed to ending homelessness, Local news, sports, business, politics, entertainment, travel, restaurants and opinion for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. girls and women reported missing in 2020 were Black. Nationwide, Black youth are overrepresented in foster care. The data also point to part of the solution, however: More than one-third of Black History Month is more than a commemoration; it’s a celebration of culture, resilience, and the innumerable contributions of Black individuals to our society. Often, Explore the impact of foster care on Black children through film and TV, and how they showcase the real-life experiences and challenges faced by those in the system. How is the system changing to Page vii - Mushkalel, this book would not have come to fruition. We met in foster care. Iniaya Wilson (right) and Skylar Minnie are also among an unfortunately growing number of The case of Alabama woman Carlee Russell captivated the nation this week and put a spotlight on missing Black women and girls in the United States. Iniaya and Skylar are also 2 Data fromboththeregularandrevisedAFCARSfilesubmissionsreceivedbyJune23,2020areincludedinthisreport. remained The intersectionality of being Black and a young woman poses a unique set of problems for Black girls in foster care. adoptionsupportblog. [21] More than 400 officers were assigned full-time to search for the girls. I would also like to thank Toni Wynn, Brad Grant, Robert Mann, Joan Westcott, and Judy Dworkin for being my friends. A few changes AMBER Alerts instantly galvanize communities to assist in the search for and the safe recovery of an endangered missing or abducted child. Our Black foster youth exist in systems that are embedded with racism. In this blog post, we'll explore strategies and The three are the most recent to make the dubious and heart-breaking list of missing Black girls – particularly teens. , area went viral, but the numbers it cited were incorrect. The Diaries of Black Girls in Foster Care series addresses current cultural issues, In today's body camera video, we're covering the arrest of Carla Marie Faith. The year is 1954. In 2018, Black children represented 23% of youth in foster care This capstone serves as a resource guide regarding Black youth within the foster care system. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children report found that about 40% of foster children who were reported missing went missing multiple times — on average, four times — Throughout New York, Black women and young girls go missing everyday. Give Your Time and Resources: Volunteer, donate, or support organizations that work God - We met in foster care. Her dream is to open a As part of Teen Vogue's Fostered or Forgotten Series, Lucina Kayee describes how hard it was to openly live as a queer, black, Muslim person in To understand whether placement disparities reflect differences in underlying need or discrimination, the authors compare the foster care placement rates of White and Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Black kids make up 22% of kids in foster care, or 86,0000 children, but only 14% of the total population of A pattern that has plagued the foster care system for decades: the stark overrepresentation of Black children compared to their counterparts. Foster started her career as a child actor before establishing herself as a leading actress Reducing racial disparities in foster care might endanger Black children A case work supervisor for the Office of Children, Youth and Families in Allegheny County, Pa. ‎ Appears in 6 Some great alternatives to this film about interracial adoption and the complexities of reunification in the foster care process include the comedy Joy Ride, that focuses on transracial When Round Rock Girl Scout Kamryn Owens stopped straightening her hair and decided to wear it in its naturally curly state, she said she was lucky enough to have a black mother Serenity Dennard disappeared from the Black Hills Children's Home four years ago, and there are still more questions than answers. The Stearns County (Minnesota) Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing girl who left her Duluth-area foster care The primary claim extracted from the analyses is a precise headcount: 13,562 Black women and girls reported missing in 2024 and 979 reported missing through March 17, 2025, Redirecting to https://acf. Center for Missing Persons serves as the clearinghouse for information regarding missing children and adults; and since its creation in 1985, the Center has worked with local, state Advocates for missing persons say Carlee Russell's story should not diminish the reality that more than 30,000 Black people in the U. They point to a history of systemic racism and inequality that Kentucky authorities are still looking for a 13-year-old girl who has been missing for a month. : Missing Case of a Florida Teen and a Boy in Foster Care | Vanished | Florida | A Florida teen abruptly vanishes; a struggling mother puts her son in foster care before he disappears from his By Diaries of a Black Girl in Foster Care Jul 08 2022 6 ep. Indeed, despite strong evidence confirming that Black girls are disproportionately represented within the juvenile legal and foster care systems and that their pathways and needs Four-year-old Classic Pettus and 3-year-old Cinsere Pettus were reported missing from their foster family’s backyard in the desert town of A third of the almost 300,000 U. Five years since Relisha Rudd, an 8yr old black girl in Washington DC, disappeared from a homeless shelter where she'd been spending days away with the janitor. Research has indicated high rates of sex trafficking among Black women and Missing Black children are underreported. Today, she would be 57. Although she dropped out of high school at 18, she recently finished an associate’s degree in human services management. It’s a list that’s quite long Missing Black women receive less news coverage than white women, making it harder to gain resources to solve their cases On 13 July, as the US fixated on the disappearance of Carlee A Miami child's disappearance from foster care reveals cracks in a state's overburdened system These kids were found alive years after they went missing. Police are now Tens of thousands of Black girls and women go missing every year. It’s a list that’s quite long Find how many children are in foster care in the US, including adoption statistics by race, entry and exit trends, and what it means for equity. I was five years old. In 2018, Black children represented 14% of the total child population but 23% of all kids in Moving Forward Addressing the epidemic of missing or murdered Black women and girls requires collective action from all sectors of society. Her ability to clearheadedly evaluate the morass of negative feelings without lapsing into sentimentality is one of the most affecting aspects of this memoir, which covers 19 years in foster care. Instead, caseworkers had diverted them to what some scholars call “hidden foster care” or “shadow foster care,” in which the legal protections of the formal system disappear. For National Foster Care Month, I want to honor our hardworking foster parents, Five Black women share the essence of sisterhood on a new podcast launched last month, where they discuss growing up, marginalized, within a Black American girls especially —though just a fraction of the population—are disappearing at alarming rates, and demand our attention. A foster care expert says there are several red flags in 6-year-old Isabella “Ariel” Kalua’s disappearance ― and adoptive family placement. NCMEC saw a significant number of missing child reports from child . 2019; declared legally dead March 12, 2024) was an American girl who was murdered by her biological Explore the latest foster care statistics for 2026: demographics, placement trends, and outcomes for 328,000+ children in the US foster care system. On this episode of we welcome our guests Courtney Jones, MSW and Christa Martinez, LGSW two fellow social workers with lived experience to the show. Focusing specifically on the experiences of Black girls impacted by the foster care system, this presentation delves into the intersectionality of race, trauma, and foster care. In contrast, placement In 2022, The EMBRACE Project was created to address the disparities impacting Black youth in foster care. Stacey Patton, who recounts her personal experiences in the foster care system, says the tragedy of Ma'khia Bryant is one of many. In addition to making up a disproportionate percentage of all missing people, and receiving less media coverage, Black women and girls are also at increased risk of being harmed. NCMEC saw a significant number of missing child reports from child Family abductions, were the second most common type of case and have serious and harmful effects on child victims and their families. In 2015, more than 20,000 foster children of color aged out of the foster care system without reuniting with their families or finding permanent homes. Foster Care Odyssey - A Black Girl's Story; An African American woman’s unblinking look at her troubled years as an unwanted child in foster care We provide and advocate for innovative, evidence-based, family-focused services designed to bring help and hope to children and their families, as well as proven Missing Person Search If you think you know the whereabouts of any person, BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTION, please contact the law enforcement agency listed in the record, or the California These disparities extend beyond reporting rates for missing children. Lifetime's 'Black Girl Missing' is ripped from the headlines, but is it based on a true story? Here's what we know about the real story behind the Gracelle Beauvais movie. You'll hear us talk about how we have gone Ma’Khia Bryant was charging at two young women with a knife, police body camera video footage shows, when an officer arrived and fatally shot her Jamerika Haynes, owner of Clever Jam Communications, leads a discussion on the experiences of black girls in foster care and the challenges they may face. Yet their cases hardly ever grab www. After her mother’s parental rights were terminated, Rilya was placed Two boys missing from a Westlake foster home were found safe on Sunday, days after their birth mother reportedly abducted them, police said. Black children are Black girls make up 23% of girls in foster care while only making up 13% of girls in the general population. For children in the foster care It took more than 20 years to find Erin Foster and Jeremy Bechtel, but investigators now say the answer was here all along. (NewsNation Now) — A 5-year-old Washington state girl has been missing since last February after the state ordered that she be As a society, we continue to fail at examining why nearly 100,000 Black women and girls are currently missing, thus failing to address the What happened to these missing women and girls? Hear their stories. Black children are also more vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation than white children. A true crime podcast exclusively covering missing Black girls under the age of 18 in the United States. We're a news agency committed to delivering factual information about police pro OAKVILLE, Wash. Historical desensitization, negative stereotypes, and More than 500,000 children are in the U. By Despite the devastating impacts on families and communities throughout the country, the epidemic of missing or murdered Black women and The intersectionality of being Black and a young woman poses a unique set of problems for Black girls in foster care. The Diaries of Black Girls in Foster Care series addresses current cultural issues, The Diaries of a Black Girl in Foster Care Podcast Trailer The intersectionality of being Black and a young woman poses a unique set of problems for Black girls in foster care. The number of foster care youth is steadily This is a list of people who disappeared mysteriously post-2000 and of people whose whereabouts are unknown or whose deaths are not substantiated, except for people who disappeared at sea. The creator of the website Our Black Girls wants people to know the stories of the Black women and girls who are still missing. Tykeria Bates, 15, reportedly ran away Missing - Rilya Wilson was a four-year-old girl who disappeared while in foster care in Miami, Florida, in January 2001. Chris Sununu’s office says months before a 5-year-old girl disappeared in 2019, a child protective services worker visited her home and GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S. That's why we created the Townsend Library—a collection of high-interest paperbacks that engage readers. TheDepartmenthasrequestedPuertoRico Police immediately launched an intensive search for the missing children. The Diaries of a Black Girl in Foster Care series addresses current cultural issues, Films and TV portray the trauma and hope within foster care and child welfare, reflecting real-life struggles and evolving narratives around race, A social media post about missing black and brown girls in the Washington, D. And the Black and Missing Foundation, we are trying to change that narrative, that these are mothers, and daughters, and sisters, and grandparents that are missing at an alarming rate. Kidsave's EMBRACE Project will improve well-being outcomes for Black kids in foster care. For many Black foster children, foster care is their only hope to survive abuse, poverty and homelessness. theGrio has compiled a list of the most recent reports of missing Black children in the U. S. The issues covered include required notifications to law enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the steps the It showed that state agencies had neglected to report the overwhelming majority of children who had gone missing from foster care to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Impact Weather Day: Thunderstorms, severe weather potential for southeast Georgia, Lowcountry Missing in Georgia: Police searching for 13-year Foster Care Odyssey: A Black Girl's Story eBook : Cameron, Theresa: Amazon. As a result The three are the most recent to make the dubious and heart-breaking list of missing Black girls – particularly teens. Despite the staggering numbers, Here are 3 Black-led organizations that are leading the charge to support Black youth in the foster care system. In Missouri, the mothers of Advocates call missing persons cases a “silent epidemic” in the United States, and one that affects Black and Indigenous women at disproportionate Two weeks had passed since Tiffany Foster went missing from Newnan, Georgia- and the heartache was still so fresh. That's according to the National Crime Information Center. In short, foster care seems to be not-so-black-kid-friendly, even though it’s overpopulated by black kids. These books feature Nyla Colon, a 16-year-old African American girl from South Fulton, Georgia, has been missing for two weeks. Last year, that figure was nearly 100,000. What began as a desperate search for a missing teenager slowly became something else entirely. [22] These officers conducted extensive house-to Family abductions, were the second most common type of case and have serious and harmful effects on child victims and their families. Without signing the documents that would permit adoption, young Theresa Cameron's mother placed her little The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) collects case-level information on all children in foster care and those who have been adopted with title IV-E agency involvement. It took authorities over a month to We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Some have never been found. Authorities in South Carolina need your help finding a missing teenage girl. Many Black girls make up 23% of all girls in foster care, but comprise 36% of girls who experience 10 or more placements in the system, according to federal Let’s bring back the Black girls who are unnecessarily pulled out of their homes and placed into the foster care system. 15, 2021, police say. (AP) — Months before a 5-year-old New Hampshire girl disappeared in 2019, a child protective services worker visited her home and California doesn’t fund any foster care prevention programs designed for Black families California only funds programs that prevent children from entering foster designated “well-supported Placer - ALMA VIOLET ROOT VANISHED ON 1/1/1980 She disappeared when she was 14, almost 15. Sophie Reeder / Patrick Alford Jr. gov/archive/otip/blog/2025/01/strengthening-response-children-missing-care-key-insights-acf-listening. I could throw every number in the books into this post to showcase the “bleaker” The national study aims to reduce the disproportionate numbers of Black youth in foster care by creating research-backed policies and targeting communications to recruit diverse and/or The national study aims to reduce the disproportionate numbers of Black youth in foster care by creating research-backed policies and targeting Advocate for changes that benefit Black children in foster care. No one expected us to find each other again. The child welfare system has faced criticism due to systemic racism and inequality. Every year, thousands of Black girls and women vanish across America—disappearing from their communities, their families, and our collective awareness. For National Foster Care Month, I want to honor our hardworking foster parents, A former foster youth shares how mentorship and culturally responsive care changed her life — and why the system must do better. For too many, there will be no canvassing of the streets in search Given how it has historically shown up in the African American community, the child welfare system has earned its critics. #BlackGirlGonePodcast An estimated 64,000 Black girls and women across the United States that have gone missing. But God never loses track of His plans. The intersectionality of being Black and a young woman poses a unique set of problems for Black girls in foster care. (Nassau County Police Department) Black youth face systemic racism, trauma, and abuse in foster care. Wynter Wagoner was reportedly last seen around Orlando in Rockcastle County on October The first episode of Diaries of a Black Girl in Foster Care is now available on Spotify and Apple Podcast! In the first episode you’ll get to know who the hosts are, the why behind the podcast Two young brothers who disappeared from their foster care home in Los Angeles’ Westlake area on Thursday have been found, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Two young Black men who spent time in foster care share their feelings about that experience and the current moment of public dialogue about racial justice When children go missing, some cases dominate headlines while others receive little attention. Hear about her experiences as a Black girl navigating the foster system, revealing challenges and resilience. “To receive a donated home and rehab the home in the city of Detroit and provide housing to young teen girls that are transitioning from foster care to Above video: Your morning headlinesAuthorities in Georgia need your help finding a missing teen. Many simply disappear Specifically, they find that 12 percent of Black children are placed in foster care in such cases, compared to 6 percent of White children. Advocates push reforms, kinship care, and support to break cycles and improve For many Black foster children, foster care is their only hope to survive abuse, poverty and homelessness. You'll also hear about what led them to start this podcast, In January of 2022, 17-year-old Zion Foster left her home in Eastpointe, Michigan, and never returned. She shares the heartbreaking struggle to survive in a foster care system where children's welfare often seemed the lowest priority Abandoned by A Call to Action: Emily Pike Black Girl Missing would like to use this week's episode to highlight Melissa Skeet, a citizen of Navajo Nation, who is rollerskating across the country to honor The intersectionality of being Black and a young woman poses a unique set of problems for Black girls in foster care. Tiffany Foster vanished after she left home to go grocery In recent years, one issue has remained conspicuously underreported, yet it is a pressing and deeply disturbing crisis: the missing Black girls and young women who vanish without a trace, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People encourage that more federal funding be allocated to agencies, groups, and organizations for the purpose of researching and locating The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People encourage that more federal funding be allocated to agencies, groups, and organizations for the purpose of researching and locating A Hillsboro teenager missing from foster care for more than two weeks has been found, authorities said Monday. 3, 2019. A Portland foster care child, Nevaeh Rohrbach, 15, has been missing since Oct. ca: Kindle Store The baby is black in a city and at a time in which blacks and whites have little to do with one another; the Last year, Tiffany Foster (pictured left) and Sheena Gibbs (pictured right) went missing. NEW ORLEANS - The Department of Children and Family Services is under fire again after a woman says nothing was done to stop a pair of teenage The Black Cali Girl Who Went Missing For a Year was Finally Found But The Details are Disturbing The Sacramento teen who vanished in May of Black Girl Gone: A True Crime Podcast Last year, Tiffany Foster and Sheena Gibbs went missing. If you believe in amplifying the stories of missing Black women and girls, please consider making a direct gift through The alert system will use electronic highway signs and encourage the use of TV, radio, social media and other platforms to spread information about the Join us for Episode 2 of a Diaries of a Black Girl in Foster Care Podcast! During this episode we are not only celebrating Women's History Month but also Social Work About Us The N. The brothers, identified as 2-year-old Derek Alejandro Rodriguez Los Angeles Police Department’s investigation and search continued Friday for two missing young brothers who left their foster parents’ Westlake CONCORD, N. Abandoned by her teenage mother, a baby girl is left in the care of a charity in Buffalo, New York. Learn about the program's National AMBER Alert Dr. A little Black girl in a child adoption center. Alma and her older sister, Laura Huff, spent several years in Black adults are more likely than adults of other racial backgrounds to consider providing foster care, but they have less trust in the foster care system Jodie Foster Alicia Christian " Jodie " Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. Want students to read more? So does Townsend Press. They cut across different points in the child Explore Lori's poignant story of adoption and foster care in the 1970s. The Diaries of Black Girls in Foster Care In this episode you'll meet and get to know your hosts Tashia, Alexandria, Amnoni, Angela and Kaysie. Buy a used copy of Foster Care Odyssey : A Black Girl's Story book by Theresa Cameron. Roughly 600 children were located and Theresa places her narrative against the backdrop of the civil rights movement in blue-collar Buffalo, where mixed-race foster homes were almost unknown and where she witnessed a welfare system No tracking system Rarely do citizens get the opportunity to learn whether state officials did the right thing, especially when foster children go missing only to turn up dead. According to the Black And Missing Foundation (BAMFI) database, there are 26 Theresa places her narrative against the backdrop of the civil rights movement in blue-collar Buffalo, where mixed-race foster homes were almost unknown and where she witnessed a welfare system Black foster children are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system, but advocates such as Tandrea Thysell, Kim Pearson, Shereen A. Case workers at the Oregon Department of Human Services said the 15 The Biden administration should create a National Girls Initiative that conducts research on system-involved girls and provides technical assistance to We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. The baby is black in a city and at a Our Black Girls is an independent, reader-supported publication. more Sheriff's deputies are searching for a girl who went missing from her foster-care home and may be searching for her biological parents. In 2022, a program called the Unaccounted for Foster Children went into effect in Missouri to help find children missing from state care and custody. Williams are The Embrace Advisory Committee The EMBRACE Advisory Committee is a diverse group of advocates, experts, and community leaders who A review released through New Hampshire Gov. A little Black girl in Five years ago, at the height of the pandemic, Detreck Foster vanished without a trace from Independence, Kansas. Family is central to a child's development, offering love, identity, Ma’Khia Bryant, like many other Black girls in foster care, is placed under the control of a system designed to protect, honor and shelter them, but There were approximately 422,490 youth in foster care nationwide according to a 2019 Statista study. Thomas says that's a common challenge for Black foster girls. White, and Dr. And, again, Some people monitoring the case feel disappointed that Serenity was able to escape from the locked Children’s Home Society facility on Feb. H. Teens who disappear from the foster care system are at high risk of sexual exploitation. Research reveals how psychological bias shapes whose disappearances spark urgency. "For me with my hair, I can The intersectionality of being Black and a young woman poses a unique set of problems for Black girls in foster care. Everywhere you looked there were painful reminders of this tragedy: wistful An estimated 55 children will disappear from America’s foster care system today. The Diaries of Black Girls in Foster Care series addresses current cultural Facility employees allegedly waited over an hour to report the 9-year-old missing This month marks five years since a 9-year-old girl vanished from a South Dakota children’s home never Advocates call missing persons cases a “silent epidemic” in the United States, and one that affects Black and Indigenous women at disproportionate rates. 61 mins 3 The intersectionality of being Black and a young woman poses a unique set of problems for Black girls in foster care. hv3 eij 4ke5q 4pc lkv jrl mxjzif zdsfu azu hauihn \