Adopting From Foster Care

---

Of the 400,000 children who are currently in foster care, approximately 117,000 are waiting to be adopted.

Read more about it here.

Of teens who age out of foster care without a family:

20% become instantly homeless

50% develop addiction to drugs or alcohol

60% of young men are convicted of a crime

25% won't earn a high school diploma or GED

(source: Bethany Christian Services)

Two excellent sources of information are 

AdoptUSKids and Bethany Christian Services

These precious children and teens in the foster care system are there due to no fault of their own, and need the love and care every child deserves. For those available for adoption, their birth parents were unable to parent them, and for their own welfare and safety, they are legally free for an adoptive placement. Each one of them has great potential, and through love, support, and safety, they can grow into a men and women of character, compassion, and beauty! 

Living in Maryland, we quickly found that it is hard to find children who are legally free for adoption in state. This is not common to other states, but being what it was, we did not feel it was hopeful to work through Maryland's Department of Children Services to pursue adoption by fostering to adopt. So we reached out to Bethany Christian Services which provides training, home study, search support and adoption placement services. Through these services we eventually had a 15 year old girl from out of state placed with us. After she is with us for 6 months, we can apply for adoption. And then we can be her forever family! 

If you are considering setting out on the path of adopting from foster care, make sure you weigh the fact that ALL children available for adoption have some level of trauma in their background. This trauma can impact their development (behavioral, intellectual, physical, and social), therefore often requiring supports in many arenas. Good training is a must. Understanding is the key a successful placement!

Please feel free to ask any questions, and I will answer what I can! I am so glad to use my small business to extend the theme of reviving the "pretty" in objects, to reviving the "pretty" in young people where it is just waiting to shine!