I am sure that you have heard of foster care, everyone has, right? But what do you really know about foster care? Is it just something you know about, where kids who have no homes go? More people need to be made aware of what foster care is, what it means, and the resources that are out there for people who are interested in fostering or adopting these children and young adults who are longing for a place to call home.

“There are 428,000 youth in the U.S. foster care system and 112,000 are waiting to be adopted.”

AdoptUSKids’ maintains a national photo listing service for children waiting to be adopted. Since the project launched in 2002, more than 26,000 children who were once photo listed on adoptuskids.org have been adopted and nearly 39,000 families have registered to adopt through the website. Nevertheless, older youth are disproportionally represented – approximately 43% percent of children and youth photo listed on adoptuskids.org are between 15 and 18 years old, but only 17% of those adopted have been in this age group.

The journey to becoming a foster parent often involves many of the same steps you would take to become an adoptive parent. There are many things to consider prior to making the decision, so it’s good to take your time and make sure this is the right fit for your family. You don’t need to own your own home, have children already, be young, wealthy, or a stay-at-home parent to foster.

Some of the Misperceptions about Adoption from Foster Care:

• Adoption is expensive. Unlike the private adoption of an infant or adopting internationally, there are virtually no costs associated with adoption from the US child welfare system. In addition, the vast majority of youth adopted from foster care are also eligible for monthly adoption assistance up to the level of the foster care rate.
• You have to be married. You do not have to be married to adopt in most states. Many children have been very successfully adopted by single parents. Single-parent families accounted for 29 percent of all adoptions from foster care in 2014 (AFCARS).
• You have to have a college degree. Having a high school diploma or college education is not required. What is important is that you are stable, flexible, and compassionate, and that you have a good sense of humor. Most importantly, you must have the support and commitment to raise a child and to be there for him throughout his life.
• You have to own a home and each child has to have their own room. You can rent your home or live in an apartment or a mobile home so long as your living situation is a stable one.
• You have to be of child-bearing age to adopt. Experienced parents and empty-nesters are encouraged to adopt. In most instances, you’re eligible to adopt regardless of age, income, marital status or sexual orientation.
• You can only adopt a child who is the same race and ethnicity as you. Federal law prohibits the delay or denial of an adoptive placement based on the race or ethnicity of a child in U.S. foster care and the prospective parent or parents who are seeking to adopt them. The only exception to this law is the adoption of Native American children where special considerations apply.
• You can’t adopt if you’re in the military. Military families stationed overseas and within the U.S. are eligible to adopt children from the U.S. foster care system.

Contacting a local foster care agency is the best way to connect with resources and learn about policies to become a foster parent in your State. Choosing an agency should take into account your family’s personal preferences regarding the services provided by that agency. You can either use our interactive map of state adoption and foster care information for finding a local agency, or search Child Welfare Information Gateway’s National Foster Care and Adoption Directory.
The truth is there are kids out there who need YOU. And whether you realize it or not, maybe you need them too. For more information about adoption, or about becoming an adoptive parent to a child from foster care, please visit www.adoptuskids.org or visit the campaign’s communities on Facebook and Twitter.

We were not compensated for this post. 

The post Help Children in Foster Care for National Adoption Month appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

But what about those kids who have never had that return experience of being loved, nurtured, needed and appreciated? Yes, as sad as it is, those kids are out there and there are thousands of them. They are the kids that are in foster care.

Most of these kids grow up never having a family to count on. They move from home to home, never knowing how long they are going to be in one place. Most of them develop the idea of the perfect family, something that exists in their mind, and something that they think will probably never exist for them.

The children who are in the foster care system are stuck. They need people who want to provide them with a loving, caring family. People who will simply bring them in and show them what compassion is. Someone who will give them a forever family, no matter how old they are.

There are 415,000 children in the U.S. foster care system and 108,000 are waiting to be adopted. That is just too many. And to make matters more complex, so many of those kids are seen as “too old” to be adopted by a family. Approximately 41 percent of children and youth photo listed on adoptuskids.org are between 15 and 18 years old, but only 17 percent of those adopted have been in this age group. Don’t those kids deserve to have a loving family just as much as any other child?

Adoptuskids.org is a resource to help you whether you’re just starting the process to foster or adoption, waiting for a placement, or looking for post-adoption resources. Most people may be eligible to adopt, regardless of marital status, age, income, or sexual orientation. 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.

There are many misconceptions about adoption such as cost, rules and regulations. Many of them are just not true. If you are serious about learning more about fostering or adopting, please be sure to get information from a trusted resource. If you need help connecting with resources or a local agency contact AdoptUSKids.org. You can also contact the foster care program manager in your State or Territory.

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

No matter what their age, youth need the love and stability that a family can offer. I hope that you will take a few minutes and check out the Adoptuskids.org site. Look around and learn about fostering and adoption. Learn more about the success stories of those kids who have been adopted and how much of an impact it had on their life. Maybe today you can make a difference in the life of a child.

The post National Adoption Month: We Never Outgrow the Need for Family appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.