November is National Adoption Awareness month, which is meant to raise awareness of a nontraditional, but wonderful, way to create a family. While adoption of any child is an amazing choice for a Nebraska family to make, one organization hopes to encourage families to consider adopting older children. Many times, young children get adopted very quickly, but children who are older may not. One family from out of state shared their story with the world, and they hope to inspire others to open their hearts.
The adoptive parents first started to foster a brother and sister, aged 15 and 17, who had been in the foster care system for four years. The two siblings were, coincidentally, the first and only children that the parents fostered. They have all been a family for two years now. The parents say though they understand why people may initially want to adopt a baby instead of a teenager, it can still be an amazing experience. The family has taken several vacations together and shared brand new experiences with the teens.
The director for National Foster Care Adoption with Bethany Christian Services wants to implore prospective parents to consider older kids for adoption. As kids age, they are less likely to be adopted and that can have disastrous consequences for their future when they eventually become too old for the foster care system. According to the director, most kids in foster care are between age 8 and 14. In many cases, these kids are in foster care not because of their own behavior, but because of the actions of their biological parents.
Making the choice to adopt a child of any age is a positive decision. There are many legal implications in this process, meaning that any Nebraska couples considering adoption may want to work with an attorney who has considerable experience in this area of the law. It can be a wonderful way to complete a family.
