Children Wanting Loving Families
By Crystal Wilkinson
As most Americans prepare to celebrate the holidays with their families, over 118,000 U.S. children have no such plans. These are America’s waiting children…children in the foster care system waiting to be adopted by a family they can call their own. The average child in foster care waits nearly five years to be adopted. The wait will last as long as childhood for far too many of these youth.
Most of these waiting children are eight years of age or older. They are of diverse racial and ethnic heritage. Many have brothers and sisters and want to remain together. What they have in common is their desire to have what millions of other children growing up in America have…loving families.
A National Adoption Attitudes Survey funded by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption identified commonly held misperceptions about foster care adoption:
· Adoption is expensive.
While domestic infant adoption and international adoption can range from $5000 to more than $50,000; foster care adoption costs are minimal and adopting families frequently qualify for tax credits and ongoing subsidies.
· Adopted child have long-term behavioral issues.
Studies show that once a child receives a permanent, loving home at any age and when the family is provided the support it needs, the long-term outcome is similar to biological children.
· Birth parents can take the child back.
Once a child’s parental rights have been terminated, the birth parents no longer have legal rights to that child.
The Survey also found that four in 10 American adults, or more than 80 million people, have at some point considered adoption. If only a small percentage of those thinking about adoption move from thought to action, every waiting child would grow up with a family of their own.
To learn more about foster care and foster care adoption, many excellent resources are available:
For information on the foster care and adoption process in South Dakota, visit www.state.sd.us/social/cps http://www.state.sd.us/social/cps
Information on foster care and adoption, as well as a list of waiting children from across the nation, can be found at www.adoptuskids.org http://www.adoptuskids.org
To order a free copy of the Beginner’s Guide to Adoption, call the Dave Thomas Foundation at 1-800-ASK-DFTA or visit www.davethomasfoundation.org <http://www.davethomasfoundation.org>.
Crystal Wilkinson, Adoption Specialist
Children’s Home Society of South Dakota
Sioux Falls
www.chssd.org http://www.chssd.org
By Crystal Wilkinson
As most Americans prepare to celebrate the holidays with their families, over 118,000 U.S. children have no such plans. These are America’s waiting children…children in the foster care system waiting to be adopted by a family they can call their own. The average child in foster care waits nearly five years to be adopted. The wait will last as long as childhood for far too many of these youth.
Most of these waiting children are eight years of age or older. They are of diverse racial and ethnic heritage. Many have brothers and sisters and want to remain together. What they have in common is their desire to have what millions of other children growing up in America have…loving families.
A National Adoption Attitudes Survey funded by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption identified commonly held misperceptions about foster care adoption:
· Adoption is expensive.
While domestic infant adoption and international adoption can range from $5000 to more than $50,000; foster care adoption costs are minimal and adopting families frequently qualify for tax credits and ongoing subsidies.
· Adopted child have long-term behavioral issues.
Studies show that once a child receives a permanent, loving home at any age and when the family is provided the support it needs, the long-term outcome is similar to biological children.
· Birth parents can take the child back.
Once a child’s parental rights have been terminated, the birth parents no longer have legal rights to that child.
The Survey also found that four in 10 American adults, or more than 80 million people, have at some point considered adoption. If only a small percentage of those thinking about adoption move from thought to action, every waiting child would grow up with a family of their own.
To learn more about foster care and foster care adoption, many excellent resources are available:
For information on the foster care and adoption process in South Dakota, visit www.state.sd.us/social/cps http://www.state.sd.us/social/cps
Information on foster care and adoption, as well as a list of waiting children from across the nation, can be found at www.adoptuskids.org http://www.adoptuskids.org
To order a free copy of the Beginner’s Guide to Adoption, call the Dave Thomas Foundation at 1-800-ASK-DFTA or visit www.davethomasfoundation.org <http://www.davethomasfoundation.org>.
Crystal Wilkinson, Adoption Specialist
Children’s Home Society of South Dakota
Sioux Falls
www.chssd.org http://www.chssd.org
