We would like to shine a spotlight on the vulnerable teenagers in foster care. These precious teenagers continue to hope and pray for forever families. Every year thousands of these precious children who deserve to grow up in safe and loving homes age out of the foster care system without ever finding a family. Adoption of foster children in their teens is truly a wonderful, life changing experience for all involved.

It is truly heartbreaking, as these children have already suffered terrible abuse and neglect. Almost all of them have lived in the foster care system for years. They bounce from place to place with no place to call home. They don’t have a forever family to safely attach their hearts to. In addition, their meager belongings are often transported in plastic garbage bags.

In group homes, they live with other foster children. These children have also experienced abuse and neglect and struggle with the same issues of trauma, trust, and transience. Because of the trauma, they create a protective shell. Underneath it, they are vulnerable children who will only thrive when they are unconditionally loved.

OUTCOMES IF ADOPTION OF FOSTER CHILDREN DOES NOT OCCUR

If loving families do not open their homes and hearts to teenage foster children, the statistics about their outcomes are bleak. For example:

Only 25% of foster children graduate from high school

Foster children experience PTSD at TWICE the rate of the US military

Foster children are at higher risk for homelessness, addiction, and mental illness.

Finally, their future is really up to us. We must step up and intervene for these children. Through no fault of their own, they have been horrifically abused and/or neglected, removed from their families, live with strangers, and have nothing stable or secure in their lives. This is happening in every state within the United States. It is happening right here in our own backyards. The only people that can change the outcome for these precious children is us. It requires courageous people willing to open hearts and homes to love these children so that their hearts can be healed. Adoption of foster children who are in their teens truly changes their futures.

ABOUT BUILDING ARIZONA FAMILIES – AN ACCREDITED ADOPTION AGENCY

Building Arizona Families serves families who want to adopt children directly from the foster care system. The agency also offers private infant adoptions and international adoptions from Haiti. We are a non-profit, licensed, Hague accredited adoption agency. Building Arizona Families has over 30 years of combined experience working with children. Most importantly, our entire staff is dedicated to the mission of protecting the right of every child to grow up in a safe, loving, and permanent family.

Find out more about Building Arizona Families at www.buildingarizonafamilies.com.

If you are interested in more direct adoption of foster children information, please e-mail: ixcelbaca@buildingarizonafamilies.com