Last year, over 114,000 children and youth were waiting to be adopted and at risk of aging out of foster care without permanent family connections across the United States. This year, in recognition of National Adoption Month, the Talbot County Department of Social Services hosted a “Thanks for Giving” event in Easton in appreciation of the foster and adoptive parents in Talbot County who have stepped up and taken a role in the lives of youth who need permanent family connections.
According to the Children’s Bureau (childwelfare.gov), older children are at greater risk for aging out of foster care without permanent family connections. More than one in five children waiting to be adopted are teens. National Adoption Month is an initiative of the Children’s Bureau that seeks to increase national awareness of adoption issues, bring attention to the need for adoptive families for teens in the U.S. foster care system, and emphasize the value of youth engagement.
Pictured left to right are Linda Webb, Director of Talbot County Department of Social Services (TCDSS); Chrissy Montague. Coordinator, Option Respite & Parent Education for TCDSS; Debbe Fairbank, Director of Adult Services, TCDSS; and participants Emily Dutt, Dan Zollinhofer, Sue Zollinhofer, Jeanne Scharf, Daisy Scharf, and Leslie Scharf.
Twelve area families participated in the “Thanks for Giving” event which included a fall family craft, outdoor games, and cupcakes and cider. Each family also took home a Thanksgiving meal.
“Our foster and adoptive parents are amazing. They step up in so many ways when we need them and this was one of the ways of saying thank you for their dedication and service,” comments Paris Quillet, Special Projects Coordinator, TCDSS.
“We continue to need more foster and adoptive parents to help meet the needs of children of all ages, most recently including infants and school-aged children. We also get requests from time to time for sibling groups and older teens who are aging out of foster care soon and need guidance in transitioning into adulthood. Our goal is to find the right family for each situation.”
For further information on becoming a foster or adoptive parent, call the Talbot County Department of Social Services at 410-820-7371 or visit midshoreresourceparents.com.
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