Children really are our future. As they grow up, they become the adults who work in the factories, bakeries, local businesses, and become the leaders of our nation. A truly great life is filled with love and family and those pivotal moments that we get to share with one another. As the holidays are approaching and we get busy thinking about our family gatherings, cooking food and shopping, I ask that you take a moment to stop and think about the kids who have no family. It may be a somber thing to think about. Maybe it isn’t something you want to think about. But it is so very important.
415,000 children are in the U.S. foster care system with 108,000 are waiting to be adopted. These kids have no family of their own. They are not looking forward to the holidays and spending time with family like most of us, because most of them have grown up never having a family to count on. They have moved from home to home, never knowing how long they are going to be in one place. Most of these kids have developed the idea of what the perfect family looks like, something that exists in their mind, and something that they think will probably never exist for them.
About 41% of children and youth listed on adoptuskids.org are between the ages of 15 – 18 years old, but only 17% of kids adopted are in this age group. Don’t those kids deserve to have a loving family just as much as any other child? Families who adopt older youth are providing them with the support and stability of a family during a critical period of normal adolescent concerns and additional self-identity issues.
Adoptuskids.org is a resource to help you consider whether adopting is for you. If you are just starting the process to foster or adoption, waiting for a placement, or looking for post-adoption resources, this website is helpful. Most people may be eligible to adopt, regardless of marital status, age, or income. You don’t need to own your own home, have children already, be young, wealthy, or a stay-at-home parent to adopt or foster.
How to Adopt
- Common Myths About Adoption
- Deciding to Pursue Adoption
- Applying to Adopt
- Completing an Adoption Home Study
- Getting Approved to Adopt
- Envisioning Your Family
- Being Matched with a Child
- Receiving an Adoptive Placement
- Legalizing an Adoption
- Being an Adoptive Parent
How to Foster
- Common Myths About Foster Care
- Applying to Foster
- Completing a Foster Home Study
- Getting Approved to Foster
- Receiving a Foster Placement
- Being a Foster Parent
Children are so very special in so many ways. They fill our hearts with joy and happiness; they will grow up to be our business owners, leaders of our country, and parents themselves. But in order to get there these children have to have more than just a roof over their head and food in their bellies. They have to have love, guidance and nurturing. All of these things come with having a family that they can count on day in and day out.
