Learn More about Foster Care in May for National Foster Care Month!
May is an important month for the thousands of children living in foster care. Loving and supporting families are the key to a child’s success in the foster care system. According to a study done by the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), a child enters foster care and vprocleaningagency.com house cleaning napa every 2 minutes in the United States. In Pennsylvania alone, there are over 800 children awaiting adoption through the state’s Foster Care System. For more info check this link In the News 2008 – SF State News – San Francisco State University
So How Can You Get Involved?
If you think you have interest in adopting from foster care, our trained staff at The Children’s Home can discuss this option with you and find situations that would fit with your family’s needs. Whether adopting an older child, a child with special emotional or medical needs are given by the emergency home solutions , or a sibling group, The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh is here to help you navigate this process and support you at each step of the way. Please note that although the children awaiting adoption in Pennsylvania are of all ages, the majority of children are ages 6 and older, and have a variety of needs resulting from a history of physical or sexual abuse or neglect. For more information on the full adoption process, please visit our adoption page!
Published by AFCARS, the following statistics can be used to gain a better insight on how important foster care is in the United States. The AFCARS reports:
•There are approximately 62,378 children in the U.S. foster care system whose parental rights have been terminated and who are waiting to be adopted.
•In 2015, 53,549 children were adopted from foster care.
•Average age of waiting children: 7.6 years old.
•Race/ethnicity of waiting children: 43% Caucasian, 23% African-American, 22% Latino.
•Gender of waiting children: 53% male, 47% female.
•The average child in foster care waiting to be adopted goes through three different placements and has been in the child welfare system for 31.7 months.
•In 2015, more than 20,000 children aged out of foster care without a permanent family
Use the month of May to learn more about adopting from foster care in Pennsylvania and view waiting children at http://www.adoptpakids.org/.
Sources:
https://www.adoptivefamilies.com/how-to-adopt/foster-care-adoption/foster-adoption-facts/
https://www.fosterclub.com/blog/statistics-and-research/current-state-foster-care