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November is National Adoption Month. Started as Adoption Week, it began over 45 years ago as a way to shed light on the need for families to adopt children in the foster care system. In 1976, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis spearheaded the idea in hopes to connect children in need of forever families with foster parents who had it on their heart to grow their families through adoption.
Eight years later, Ronald Reagan officially proclaimed the week before the start of the holidays as official National Adoption Week; the holidays being a time when children are longing for a home and a sense of belonging. In 1995, President Bill Clinton expanded the week and proclaimed November as National Adoption Month to highlight the increasing need for matching children and youth in foster care with forever families.
One of the ways of growing your family is adopting through the foster care system. “There are several different ways to get started in the adoption [sic] process. One of the ways is through the Department of Social Services (DSS). From time to time you’re called on to be a foster parent, sometimes those foster parent situations turn into permanent situations, sometimes they don’t,” South Carolina family court lawyer Nancy Jo Thomason explained in a YouTube video. “It’s a lot of hard work; a lot of meaningful work.”
Foster care and foster care adoption
Foster care is designed to be used as a temporary living arrangement for children whose parents are unable to care for them. The end goal of foster care is not to permanently remove children from their homes, however. Children are removed in hopes of soon reuniting them with their biological parents. In many cases, foster care stays are short but can sometimes last several months to several years.
According to the Children’s Bureau, there are approximately 400,000 children in foster care. Children and young adults in foster care have entered the program through no fault of their own. They may have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by parents or guardians. For the majority of these children, foster care is meant to be a temporary situation. Of those 400,000 children, one-fourth will likely not be reunited with birth parents and await adoption.
Becoming a foster parent and adopting from foster care
Families who choose to become foster parents may do so for a variety of reasons. Some may foster many children over the course of several years with the goal of being a safe place for a child while their parents work toward being able to provide a stable home environment. Other families may choose to foster and ultimately welcome a child into their home permanently.
Rob Scheer did just that. He and Reece Sheer are the proud fathers of five children. “Adopting our children from foster care was the best decision we’ve ever made,” Rob told Mom.com. “Every child deserves the love and support of a forever family, and we couldn’t be more proud of our kids.
“Of course, parenting children who have experienced trauma comes with unique challenges, but it is incredibly rewarding to watch them thrive and overcome those challenges. Not only do we know that we have made a difference in their lives, but they have taught us about unconditional love and resiliency, and every day they make me a better human.”
In 2013, Rob and Reece founded Comfort Cases, a company committed to providing children backpacks instead of the plastic trash bags many receive to hastily pack their belongings when removed from a home. Backpacks are filled with comforting items like a blanket, pajamas, coloring books, crayons, and personal hygiene products.
The foster care adoption process
Families interested in adopting a child from foster care can do so in two ways. The first way is to become a licensed foster parent. This involves background checks, home studies, training, and other state eligibility requirements. As foster parents, families can accept children into their homes until an opportunity for adoption arises. Adoption, of course, is not a requirement. Foster parents can simply continue to foster until children are reunited with their families or adopted.
The second way to adopt through foster care is by choosing to adopt a waiting child. There are over 100,000 children and youth in foster care who will not be reunited with biological parents. Considered “waiting children,” they are in foster care and seeking a forever family. The requirements for adopting through this process are similar to those of becoming a foster family. Adoptive parents must become licensed foster parents first and complete all classes and state requirements
Adoption information for fostering families
There are several places to find support for parents who looking to adopt from foster care. Prospective foster parents with a heart for adoption should begin their search at one of the state-wide lists of children waiting to be adopted. The AdoptUSKids website offers a photo list by state. Additional photo listing service websites can be found on the Child Information Gateway Website.
To learn more about becoming a foster parent, prospective parents can visit the National Foster Parent Association Website. If you’re wondering how to adopt a child from foster care and want to know if this is a good choice for your family, the AdoptUSKids website also offers insight and resources to help you make an informed decision.
