Consider Foster Care
Children are placed in foster care due to abuse or neglect from biological parents. Here in Northern VA, 75% of the time it is due to neglect. Nationally, there are more than 437,000 children in foster care. Children remain in foster care for an average of 20 months. The average age of child in care is 8 years old, and 60% of the children in foster care have a sibling(s) also in foster care.
The goal of foster care is to give struggling biological parents a chance to work on the difficulties which sent the children into foster care. Every foster parent needs to provide a safe, loving home during that challenging season. Foster parents must make efforts to build supportive bridges to biological families and encourage their progress.
Nationally, 49% of children leaving the system were reuniting with biological parents or 'kin.' 24% of the children were adopted, and 8% of the children aged out of the foster system. 10% of the children were not adopted but lived with a guardian. (2019 Report from Child Welfare Bureau on 2017 stats)
Virginia children in 2020 leaving the foster system reunited with family or kin 43% of the time. 30% of the children were adopted, and 23% aged out of care with no forever family. Virginia continues to be in the bottom three states of the country of children who age out of the system. (Virginia Children Services Outcome Report for June 2020)
125,000 children (mostly school aged and with siblings) are waiting and ready now to be adopted from foster care.
Helpful Resources for you:
Consider Adoption
God’s design for children is to grow up in permanent, loving families. With 150 million orphans worldwide and 125,000 children available for adoption the US foster care system, the need is great! Adoption is a beautiful and imperative response to this need.
Your options include: international adoption, domestic adoption, and adoption from foster care.
Each of these options have their strengths and weaknesses. There are many agencies both from a Christian worldview and a secular world view. There's no "one right way." You simply must prayerfully do your research and see which option God leads you to.
God is able to do anything in His timing, however, we encourage people to keep these things in mind:
Plan on at least 18 months to 3 years for the entire adoption process (longer if you are only open to a baby)
It can be expensive, but there are resources out there to help ease the load.
Please join us for a 1 hour 15 minute workshop via zoom to hear more about your options. Or feel free to email us to chat personally.
Helpful Resources for you:
Considering foster care or adoption and need some guidance?
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Reach out at info@projectbelongva.org and we’ll find a time to talk through any questions or concerns you might have.