A new report says foster children in the city's school system are struggling at an alarming rate.

The report published by the nonprofit Advocates for Children noted foster care students were twice as likely to get failing scores on state exams and between 80-85% were not proficient in math and reading. It also says only 40% of foster care students who are enrolled in high school go on to graduate.

"They need lots of love, and lots of comprehension, and understanding given where they came from,” said Yvellise Santana, a foster mother with two foster children in the school system.

Santana says her two kids are progressing well academically.

“I've always said that whoever wants to learn can learn where they want - be it in private or public schools, the important thing is they study,” she said.

"Students in foster care were four times more likely to be suspended from school than students who were not in foster care,” Advocates for Children’s Erika Palmer told News 12. “There's data that shows that students who are suspended are more likely to drop out of school."

Most of the data comes from the New York City Department of Education and the state, Palmer says.

The report suggests the DOE train its staff to recognize the needs of foster children and to ensure these students have access to mental health services.

The DOE in a statement said that it's aware of the report and will review the report's recommendations. They added they will be rolling out their foster care team to help address these same issues.