National Adoption Month 2009: Foster Care Adoption

In honor of National Adoption Month this November, we'll be sharing several adoption-related posts.

This is from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption:

All children deserve a loving, permanent home. This is the premise of National Adoption Awareness Month, founded in 1990 to increase the number of children adopted from U.S. foster care and celebrate the unique joys of creating families through foster care adoption.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption encourages families to open their hearts and homes to children waiting to be adopted. Research conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by the Foundation(1) suggests Americans' misperceptions may act as a barrier to foster care adoption. A surprising number of Americans underestimate the number of children waiting for adoptive families, believe children in foster care entered because of juvenile delinquency and do not know foster care adoption is affordable and permanent.

The facts:

Children enter the foster care system through no fault of their own. As victims of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment, they are removed from their homes because their birth families are unable or unwilling to provide a safe environment for them.

More than 129,000 children in the U.S. foster care system are available for adoption. Their parents' legal rights have been permanently terminated and children are left without a family.

Children often wait five or more years to be adopted, can move three or more times in foster care and are frequently separated from siblings. More than half of these children are nine years of age or older.

Each year, more than 20,000 children available for adoption turn 18 and leave the foster care system without a family.

Adopting from foster care is affordable. Most child welfare agencies cover the costs of home studies and court fees, and provide post-adoption subsidies. Thousands of employers offer benefits for employees who adopt and adoption tax credits are available to most families.

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. Post-adoption resources are available.

Adopting from foster care is permanent. Once a child is adopted out of foster care, the birth parents cannot attempt to claim them or fight in court for their return.

"Every child deserves a family," says Rita Soronen, executive director of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. "There is a critical need for Americans to become aware and involved. Everyone can make a difference - either by adopting a child from foster care or by supporting the work of agencies finding forever families for waiting fhildren. We offer a myriad of free resources, including a step-by-step guide for those considering adoption and a foster care adoption awareness toolkit for those willing to advocate in their community. We are also proud of our relationship with Wendy's as they work to encourage foster care adoption through in-store awareness campaigns this month, fundraising and volunteering across North America."

Learn more or order the Foundation's free materials at www.DaveThomasFoundationForAdoption.org or 1-800-ASK-DTFA.

About the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the adoptions of the more than 150,000 children waiting in North America's foster care systems. Created by Wendy's founder, Dave Thomas, who was adopted, the Foundation implements results-driven national signature programs, foster care adoption awareness initiatives and research-based advocacy efforts. (1) National Foster Care Adoption Attitudes Survey, November 2007, conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

SOURCE: Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption