JOIN ME!
ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
CHILDREN WAITING FOR YOU!
When I was in elementary school, I was the youngest child in my immediate family as well as the youngest grandchild on both sides of our family. While it had its benefits, I wanted a brother or sister. Well, actually a brother, I have two older sisters and that is enough. One day, our mother sat us down, picked up an envelope, pulled out a yellow legal sheet of a paper and read it. What I remember is that long yellow legal paper, the cursive on it, jumping around like it was Christmas, and two names: Andrea and Yolanda. It was a letter sent from my aunt Anita and Uncle Bobby telling us they were adopting Andrea and Yolanda, sisters. They had previously adopted their oldest daughter, Andrea (yes, two Andreas), and had fostered other children in the hopes of adopting. Those placements were not a fit. Now that I think about it, the excitement that letter brought was overwhelming. We could not wait to see them, meet them, and play with them. They were younger than me by one and two years, respectively, which was perfect. No not little brothers, but better sisters who enjoyed just being around, having fun, giggling, and all that stuff.
Data from Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) for October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006 indicates that there were 129,000 (25%) children waiting to be adopted through public adoption. In America there are over 510,000 American children in foster care, taken away when their families are in crisis and can’t take care of them.
The following is directly from The National Network for Young People in Foster Care….
If nothing changes… by the year 2020:
- 22,500 children will die of abuse or neglect, most before their fifth birthday
- More than 10.5 million children will spend some time in foster care
- More than 300,000 children will age out of our foster care system, some in poor health and many unprepared for success in higher education, technical college or the workforce
- 75,000 former foster youth, who aged out of the system, will experience homelessness
- Average time foster care children have been waiting to be adopted: 39.4 months
As an adoptive parent this statistic is overwhelming and calls me to act. November is National Adoption Month, for the month I will be blogging each day to bring attention to the cause of children in foster and adoptive placements, giving parenting tips, and sharing stories.
How can you get involved? GREAT QUESTION!
1) Consider becoming a foster and/or adoptive parent? There are children waiting for your heart and home to create a sense of belonging and stability.
2) Share this blog with friends, family, and associates. You never know who is considering adoption. It may be your sharing that helps bring a family together!
3) Donate through Clothing Our Children. Children in foster and adoptive placements are in need of the same things that other children may take for granted. We will be purchasing gift cards to be given to various foster and adoptive agencies to benefit the children! Will you donate for them?
This is absolutely an amazing time for me and has taught me to be thankful for the family I was born into and the one I have, and still am, creating.
0 comments:
Post a Comment