Vol. 13, No. 1• November 2008

There Are Children in Foster Care Awaiting Adoption

On April 30, 2008 there were 10,530 children in DSS custody in North Carolina. Of these children, 982 (9%) were legally free for adoption and waiting for a family.

Who Are These Children?
Of the children awaiting adoption at the end of April, nearly half (42%) were teenagers. Of the rest, children from infancy to age 5 made up 24%, while those between the ages of 6 and 12 made up 34%.

The racial composition of this group of waiting children was as follows: 46% White, 42% African-American, 5% Hispanic/Latino, and 1% American Indian (NCDSS, 2008).

Seeing Beyond the Numbers
Of course, children waiting to be adopted aren’t numbers. They are individuals with unique faces and hearts, histories and dreams. You can see this in the profiles in the box below, and in the descriptions of waiting children featured on North Carolina’s adoption photolisting web site <www.adoptnckids.org>.

Foster Parents and Adoption
Most children adopted from foster care find permanence either with their foster parents or with kin. Certainly this is true in North Carolina. For example, of the children adopted from foster care in our state in fiscal year 2005-06, 54.1% were adopted by their foster parents and 23.3% were adopted by a relative (USDHHS, 2008).

This makes perfect sense: foster families and relatives are the ones who know the children best and have cared for them day in and day out. The box at right describes some of the traits that researchers have identified in families who successfully adopt children from foster care.

What You Can Do
If you are a foster parent who is not in a position to adopt, you can still help. Your knowledge, experience, and the commitment you have shown to children can make you a powerful, persuasive adoption advocate. Here are a few simple steps you can take right now:

• Tell your social worker you are looking for ways to help find permanent families for children who need them.
• Learn all you can about adoption—a good advocate is well informed.
• Don’t be shy—initiate contact. Ask members of your family and neighborhood if they know anyone interested in adoption. Make people aware of the need for adoptive families.
• List all the different groups with which you are involved. Talk to friends at church, community center or club members, and sorority or fraternity brothers and sisters about adoption. Although these informal conversations may seem simple, they can be the start of something wonderful for a child and family (NACAC, 2001).

By promoting adoption you can make a difference that will last a lifetime!

Meet Tyquan and Ty’Darius...

Tyquan and Ty’Darius are typical boys with a typical sibling relationship. They laugh, joke, wrestle, and blame each other when something goes wrong. They love attending church and singing in the choir. Their foster parents are fabulous singers and often lead songs in church. Tyquan and Ty’Darius enjoy pretending they are singing like them. A Closer Look at Tyquan . . . Tyquan is an adorable, easygoing, and playful little boy. He has wonderful manners and is very polite. Tyquan loves to laugh and giggle to show off his big, wide smile created by his missing four front teeth. He gets along well with everyone and has lots of friends. Tyquan recently finished playing on a local tag football team and is extremely proud that he was the only boy who made any touchdowns. He also likes to play outside with Ty’Darius and the neighborhood children. Tyquan enjoys riding his bike or his motorized fire truck, playing on the computer, and watching TV. He attends regular classes at school where he enjoys learning new things and is especially good at math. Tyquan recently received a Handwriting Certificate for Best Handwriting. He is a very good student. Counseling is helping Tyquan address his feelings of grief and loss, as well as developing coping skills. Born: Aug. 1, 2001. A Closer Look at Ty’Darius . . . Ty’Darius is a cute, affectionate, outspoken, and active child. He is a bright little boy who loves to laugh and play with other children and generally gets along well with them. Ty’Darius enjoys going on community outings with his church’s youth group and recently had a blast when they all went to the movies. He also likes to travel to the beach and amusement parks with his brother and foster family. Ty’Darius loves playing with his toys, his cars, and the motorized fire truck. He attends a local daycare center where he struggles with structured activities in which he must sit for extended periods of time. Ty’Darius requires concrete instructions along with clear rules and expectations. He receives speech/language therapy to help improve his articulation and to express himself consistently and appropriately. Counseling is helping Ty’Darius work through his feelings of loss and grief, give him appropriate coping skills, and learn acceptable methods of expressing his frustration. Born: Dec. 19, 2003. A Family for Tyquan and Ty’Darius . . . Tyquan and Ty’Darius have done very well with a family that provides them with simple concrete instructions, clear rules and expectations, consistency, structure, and lot of love and attention. An adoptive family must be able to continue this type of environment for these boys to continue to be successful. (NC #092-3000) (NC #092-3001) For more information on these children or adoption in general, call the NC Kids Adoption and Foster Care Network at 1-877-NCKIDS-1 <www.adoptnckids.org>

 

Copyright � 2008 Jordan Institute for Families