Some Adoption Facts

I found these facts from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

• “Children often wait three years or more to be adopted, move three or more times in foster care and often are separated from siblings. The average age of waiting children is 8 years old.”  Imagine being an 8-year-old child moving from house to house, wondering where your siblings are, what your birth parents are doing, and why you are getting shuffled back and forth between homes.
• “Last year, 29,471 children turned 18 and left the foster care system without an adoptive family.”  This is one of the greatest tragedies of the foster care system, in my opinion. When children reach the age of 18 and have not yet been adopted, they are left to languish on their own. Often these children have not seen a stable home and may not be prepared for the difficulties of life on their own. Having not had the experience of a stable home, they may not know about some things others take for granted such as filling out a rent application, saving for a security deposit, etc. Also, many first time renters need a co-signer. If an 18-year-old has never had a permanent home, and lacks close family members, who co-signs for them? And if they cannot find a place of their own, who’s home do they return to?
• “Every child is adoptable. Many children in foster care have special needs. All of them deserve the chance to grow up in a safe, loving, permanent home. Support and other post-adoption resources are available.”  Although most children in the foster care system are not juvenile delinquents, and many are perfectly healthy, there are numerous children in the foster care system with special needs. They may not have a diagnosed illness or disability but having been removed from their home is cause enough to need some special attention. Although it may be difficult to care for some of these children, they are still lovable children who need a home just as much as any other child. They deserve a home and a loving family. And there are resources out there for adoptive parents who feel they need a little support.
• “There are 423,773 children in the U.S. foster care system; 114,556 of these children are available for adoption. Their birth parent's legal rights have been permanently terminated and children are left without a family.” Enough said. 423,773 children. 114,556 available for adoption and in need of a loving home.