Building Arizona Families Archives - Page 2 of 3

Support National Child Abuse Prevention Month with Foster Adoption in AZ

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Victoria Isaac

In April, we recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month and the importance of our families and communities working together to help children experiencing abuse and/or neglect. Through the collaboration of many, we can help protect these children by adopting children in foster care. In Arizona right now, 2,969 children are considered legally free and are living in foster care. When birth parents’ rights have been terminated by the state, their children are considered legally free for adoption. These children are anxiously waiting for a family to adopt them and give them a life full of love, safety, and permanency. Foster adoption in AZ can save a child’s life.

Families living in Arizona can change a child’s life forever and grow their family by adopting foster children. Building Arizona Families offers the Forever Families U.S. Adoption Program which helps facilitate direct placements of foster children waiting for adoption in AZ and around the United States. Arizona families can help stop the horrific cycle of children living without a family and experiencing abuse and/or neglect. No child should be suffering and deserves a beautiful life full of love and support. To find out more about opening your forever home to a foster child in great need, please visit us HERE to find out more about the Forever Families U.S. Adoption Program. Building Arizona Families is a non-profit, licensed, and internationally accredited adoption agency serving families across the United States. Visit us HERE to learn more about our Arizona adoption agency.

Building Arizona Families Offers the Forever Families U.S. Foster Adoption in Arizona Program to Help Families Adopt Kids out of Foster Care

Contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to foster to adopt foster children. We will help you walk through the direct adoption of children in the foster care system. Download our foster child adoption info kit HERE.

We can work together to help innocent children heal from abuse, neglect, loneliness, fear, and sadness. Direct adoption of a foster child is less expensive than private adoption and may be a faster adoption process. The states these children reside in will help facilitate the adoption of foster children whose parental rights are severed because they recognize the urgent need for children to grow up in loving families. Visit us HERE. We can help you begin your adoption journey and offer a child in great need a life full of love and safety.

Adopt Children in Foster Care to Start a Life with Love and Stability as a Forever Family

Almost half a million children around the United States are waiting every day for someone to adopt them and change the life they are living. Will you be the one to change their story and adopt foster children? Learn more about the Forever Families program Building Arizona Families offers to adopt foster children in Arizona and around the U.S. HERE. You can be the change they are praying for!

We also invite you to attend one of our informative adoption seminars. You can reach out to Ixcel Baca, Program Coordinator, directly and ask any questions you might have. Ixcel would love to hear from you! You can reach Ixcel at (623) 696-9537 or by e-mailing her at [email protected].

Sources –

https://dcs.az.gov/reports

We Offer Foster Adoption Services for Forever Families in Arizona

Posted on April 7, 2021April 7, 2021 by Victoria Isaac

We Are Their Future is always working diligently to help children around the country find a forever home full of love and security. Children living in foster care have experienced such heartbreak, abandonment, and sadness in their young lives. No child should have to feel what so many children experience every day when losing their family. Adoptive families have the amazing opportunity to change a child’s life forever by giving them the answer to their prayers – a forever home full of love, laughter, and life. Building Arizona Families offers a beautiful program for forever families adoption services called the Forever Families U.S. Adoption Program.

The Forever Families Adoption Services Available with Building Arizona Families Arizona Adoption Agency

Who is Eligible to Adopt Foster Children?

Our Forever Families U.S. Adoption Program is an incredible program for adoptive families who live in Arizona. Arizona families can adopt foster children in Arizona and throughout the United States who have been found legally eligible for adoption.

Building Arizona Families does direct adoption placements. This means that the adoptive family is not foster care certified but licensed to adopt through a home study; making these direct adoptions. To adopt foster children in Arizona or from around the country, the foster children come to live in your home. After approximately six months, your family legally adopts the children.

What is a Home Study?

Home studies are mandatory for every adoptive family in the United States, whether they are adopting a child domestically or internationally. Our home study reports satisfy the State of Arizona’s legal requirements as well as the requirements for domestic adoptions in other states, international adoptions, and all out-of-state adoption agencies coordinating child placements.

Our goal is to make the home study a positive experience and support you in becoming adoptive parents. We offer resource materialsand personal support. Learn more about building a home study HERE.

What is the Process of Adopting a Foster Child Through the Forever Families U.S. Adoption Program?

The necessary steps to adopt foster kids in Arizona or from around the country are similar and apply to Arizona families as follows:

– Choose the type of adoption

– Select an agency or facilitator

– Complete a home study

– Wait for a placement

– Finalize the adoption

If you feel called to open your heart and home to a foster child in need of a loving and forever home, please download our info kit HERE for more information about our forever families adoption services. We are thrilled to help families on their adoption journey and to find beautiful homes for children in need. Learn more about other adoption programs with Building Arizona Families, HERE.

Foster Children Are Just Children Wanting a Family to Love and Accept Them

Building Arizona Families invites you to consider adopting a foster child. Remember, contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to foster to adopt foster children. We will help you walk through the direct adoption of children in the foster care system. Download our foster child adoption info kit HERE. Learn more about the Forever Families Program Building Arizona Families offers to adopt foster children HERE. You can change the life of a foster child forever! Learn more about how We Are Their Future supports foster children in Arizona and around the U.S., HERE.

We also invite you to attend one of our informative adoption seminars. You can reach out to Ixcel Baca, Program Coordinator, directly and ask any questions you might have. Ixcel would love to hear from you! You can reach Ixcel at (623) 696-9537 or by e-mailing her at [email protected].

Adopt Foster Children from Foster Care in Arizona or Around the U.S.

Posted on April 4, 2021 by Victoria Isaac

There are over 3,000 children in foster care in Arizona alone that are legally eligible to be adopted right now. As heartbreaking as it is, these children’s biological parents no longer have parental rights. These children desperately need a family to offer them support, care, love, and, more importantly, a forever home. Married couples, families, and even single applicants can be eligible to adopt foster children who are eagerly waiting for a family. A foster child’s life is restored when they are welcomed into a safe, loving, and permanent home with their forever family.

Building Arizona Families Encourages Us to Adopt Arizona Foster Children

Are you wondering if you are eligible to adopt children from Arizona foster care? To adopt children from foster care in Arizona or around the U.S., applicants need to be living in Arizona and found legally eligible to adopt a child or teen in foster care. Applicants do not need to be foster care certified to adopt foster children in Arizona but certified to adopt through a home study. For approximately six months, a child will be welcomed into the adoptive home before being legally adopted. Learn more about the requirements to adopt Arizona foster children HERE.

The majority of foster children are five years of age or older. There are also sibling groups or children who have a higher level of need. All children in the foster system deserve to feel the stability and love of a forever family. Download our Adopting Foster Children Information Guide HERE.

We Need Men and Women to Make a Difference in the Lives of Children in Arizona and Around the United States

Foster children need reliable and safe adults to help turn their life away from loneliness, abuse, and/or neglect. Because of the circumstances children in foster care may experience daily, foster children struggle to form crucial bonds with safe and supportive adults. Becoming a forever parent to a foster child, who no longer has a family of their own, will fill them purpose and begin to instill trust and important values into their lives.

Building Arizona Families would be honored to walk with you on your journey to adopt foster children in Arizona. As a non-profit, licensed Arizona adoption agency, we have helped families with the adoption process since 2004. Please reach out to Ixcel Baca, Program Manager for the Forever Families foster adoption program at Building Arizona Families, by phone at 623-696-9537 and by e-mail [email protected]. Building Arizona Families also offers free adoption information seminars online, be sure to reach out to Ixcel for upcoming seminar dates and times!

Over 275 Teens Exited Foster Care Without an Adoption in Arizona

Posted on February 10, 2021March 10, 2021 by Victoria Isaac

In 2020, 276 teenagers in foster care never received the wonderful news that a forever family is adopting them and giving them a life full of love, hope, safety, and support. These children now have to experience life without a loving family by their side and a stable foundation for their future. Without a support system, little money, and sometimes even food and water, these 276 children face very tough times ahead of them. Adopting Arizona foster children can change the course of a child’s life forever. Young adults need proper guidance, care, and support to flourish into thriving adults. Sadly, the 276 young adults who aged out of the foster care system were not able to develop into adulthood with a forever family through an Arizona adoption. Will you partner with us to find loving and safe homes for foster teenagers in need?

Building Arizona Families understands how difficult life can be for foster children when they are not adopted by a family that can offer them love and hope. Foster children face a life of loneliness, sadness, and a longing need to feel loved. Every child deserves to feel joy and happiness with a family who loves and cares for them. Are you ready to open your heart and home to a deserving teenager in need for 2021? 2020 was hard enough for everyone, but we can make 2021 a great year for children in foster care with your help!

Providing Foster Children a Forever Home can Save Them from a Transient Lifestyle

When children are not adopted out of foster care and eventually age out of the system, these youths find themselves dealing with far more than they should ever have to endure. Teens aging out of the foster care system are much more likely to live a life of crime, drugs, poor living conditions, and without solid role models to follow. When people open their hearts and their homes and adopt Arizona Foster children, lives are greatly changed. Suddenly, a child who may have moved multiple times a year, been without friends or family in foster care, and wishing for a safe and loving home now has a solid foundation to grow. Learning from a responsible, caring, and loving adult can forever change a foster child’s life by teaching them something they may have never experienced before.

If you are considering Arizona adoption, please consider providing a well-needed home to a child waiting for their forever family in foster care. Building Arizona Families, our Arizona adoption agency, has a special program to help Arizona families adopt a foster child in Arizona or the United States. To learn more about our Forever Families Foster Adoption Program, please visit us HERE for more details.

Building Arizona Families Serves Children in Foster Care Through Arizona Adoption

We Are Their Future and Building Arizona Families invites you to consider adopting Arizona foster children. Right now, in the state of Arizona, over 2,800 children are legally free for adoption in foster care. These children’s parents had their rights severed and no longer can reunify with their families. Are you able to provide a loving and safe home for even just one of these children in foster care?

2,867 kids in foster care need our help to have a brighter and happier future! Contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to become foster certified before adopting Arizona foster children. We will help you walk through the direct adoption of children in the foster care system and support you every step of the way during your adoption journey. To begin your foster adoption journey or learn more about our foster adoption program, please download our foster child adoption info kit HERE.

We also invite you to attend one of our informative adoption seminars. You can reach out to Ixcel Baca, Program Coordinator, directly and ask any questions you might have. Ixcel would love to hear from you! You can reach Ixcel at (623) 696-9537 or by e-mailing her at [email protected]. Learn more about the Forever Families program Building Arizona Families offers to adopt foster children HERE. You can change the life of a foster child forever!

Source –

https://dcs.az.gov/news-reports/dcs-reports

Keeping Siblings Together When You Adopt Foster Kids in Arizona

Posted on January 10, 2021March 10, 2021 by Victoria Isaac

Adopting foster kids in Arizona is an urgent matter. These children have been the victims of child abuse and/or severe neglect. When the issues that created the abuse have not been remedied and the children cannot safely be returned home, their biological parents’ rights are severed. When this happens, these abused children enter the care of the Arizona Department of Child Safety. They are placed in foster care – sometimes in emergency shelters, sometimes in foster homes, and sometimes in group homes, depending upon the situation and the availability. They move an average of 4-5 times per year from foster home to foster home, ending any attachment with the foster parents, often changing schools, and sometimes living with other foster children who have suffered the same fate. This harsh reality creates uncertainty in academic success and the pain of loneliness and rejection that no child should have to bear.

If there is a tug on your heart for hurting foster children, please consider opening your heart and home to adopt foster kids in Arizona. Every child removed from his or her family deserves more out of life than the suffering they have endured and the insecurity and loneliness they are currently experiencing. Imagine the pain each one of these children experiences from the loss of their own family, separation from the only life they have known, and sometimes not even having the opportunity to see their siblings often. Building Arizona Families encourages any family who wants to change a hurting child’s life to adopt foster kids in Arizona and bring love, joy, and peace into a child’s life.

Adopting Sibling Groups From Foster Care Keeps Them Stronger Together

Whenever possible when adopting foster kids, keeping siblings together is very important for their physical and emotional health and development. When a child is removed from their home for abuse and/or neglect, the trauma a child experiences is deep. To be split up from siblings and facing unknown circumstances alone is unbearable. The need is urgent, and the stories of families who are truly heroes are so heartwarming. One couple in Kansas wanted to make sure this wouldn’t happen to a sibling group so they adopted seven children and gave them a true family complete with their very own brothers and sisters!

Emerson, Autumn, Jaxon, Journey, Jace, Piper, and Sawyer grew up abused and neglected. They were removed from their home and entered the Kansas foster care system. Lisa and Gary couldn’t bear the idea of them suffering further, so they offered a safe and loving home to all seven siblings. In 2019, wearing all matching sports jerseys, the children were legally adopted and became a forever family. Before the adoption, it took over a year to get all the siblings together in one home after being separated in foster care. Lisa, the adoptive mother, could not see these children lose each other after everything they had already suffered.

When foster kids are adopted in Arizona or around the United States, sadly it is difficult to keep siblings together. Megan Prothe, a licensed adoption permanency specialist, stated, “It can be challenging in adoption to keep siblings together, but to do so makes a profound difference for children.” And that is what Lisa and Gary did when making the selfless decision of opening their home to seven foster kids in great need. Now they can share their lives together with their new forever family.

Are you Ready to Adopt Foster Kids in Arizona? Can You Open Your Heart and Home to a Hurting Child or Sibling Group in Desperate Need of Love and Stability?

Building Arizona Families invites you to consider adopting foster kids in Arizona and around the United States. Our licensed Arizona adoption agency serves Arizona families, and they are eligible to adopt a foster child from anywhere in the United States. Remember, contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to become foster parents before adopting foster children. We will help you walk through the direct adoption of children in the foster care system. Download our foster child adoption info kit HERE. Learn more about We Are Their Future and helping foster children in Arizona and around the United States, please visit us HERE to learn more ways to help foster children.

If you are interested in adopting Arizona foster kids, or foster children from anywhere in the U.S., we can invite you to attend one of our informative adoption seminars. You can also reach out to Ixcel Baca, Program Coordinator, directly and ask any questions you might have about our licensed adoption agency in Arizona. Ixcel would love to hear from you! You can reach Ixcel at (623) 696-9537 or by e-mailing her at [email protected]. Learn more about the Forever Families program Building Arizona Families offers to adopt foster children HERE. You can change the life of a foster child forever!

Source –

https://www.kxxv.com/news/national/couple-adopts-7-siblings-together-they-didnt-need-to-lose-each-other

https://dcs.az.gov/news-reports/dcs-reports

There is a Loving Home for All Foster Children Needing a Forever Family

Posted on December 10, 2020March 24, 2021 by Victoria Isaac

Over 400,000 children face life with uncertainty, without their family, and in unfortunate circumstances out of their control. In the United States, over 400,000 foster children are experiencing difficulties in their life that youth should never have to experience. These children are used to a life with frequent moves between foster homes and even changing schools with the moves and desperately need a forever family to bless them with a family that loves and cares for them.

A forever home can drastically change a foster child’s life when raised in a home with love, structure, and permanency. Some foster care children don’t know what it’s like to have their own room or celebrate holidays with a family. In Arizona, over 2,600 children are legally free and ready to be adopted now. Building Arizona Families walks alongside adoptive families who want to welcome a foster child into their home. To learn more about the Forever Families U.S. Adoption program, please visit us HERE.

Children Around the U.S. are Waiting for Someone to Love Them as Family

When a child in foster care is legally free, the state has terminated their birth parents’ rights. These children are wards of the state with no legal parents. Foster children in Arizona that are legally free and waiting for a family in foster care have lost so much in their short life. The loss of family, friends, and home can be detrimental for a child experiencing these circumstances at such a young age, causing issues that may follow them into adulthood. Young children in foster care need the love and safety during this crucial developmental period. Foster children need a safe place offering positive experiences during the healing process for the child.

Families who want to adopt a foster child or a sibling group can continue their adoption journey without becoming foster certified. If your family feels the need to open your home to a loving child in desperate need of a forever family, there is a faster adoption process available. Building Arizona Families offers an exciting program for adoptive families in Arizona, which helps families adopt foster children. Children around the U.S. that are found legally eligible for adoption can be placed directly with an adoptive family in Arizona. Many of these children are five years of age or older. Younger children may be available but are mainly in sibling groups or needing a higher level of care.

Through a direct adoption placement, the adoptive family is not foster certified but licensed to adopt through a home study. During this process, the child lives at the adoptive family’s home for approximately six months until the family legally adopts the child. Building a forever family is a beautiful and wonderful way to offer a safe, loving, and permanent home to a child who deserves one. To learn more about the Forever Families U.S. Adoption program, please download our info kit HERE and visit our website HERE for more information.

Families Do Not Need to be Foster Certified to Adopt Foster Children and Build Your Forever Family

We Are Their Future and Building Arizona Families invites you to consider adopting a foster child in Arizona or anywhere else in the U.S. Remember, contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to be licensed foster care providers before adopting Arizona foster children. If you reside in Arizona and meet the requirements through our licensed adoption agency, Building Arizona Families, you are eligible to adopt a foster child from anywhere in the U.S. Download our foster child adoption info kit HERE.

We also invite you to attend one of our informative adoption seminars. You can reach out to Ixcel Baca, Program Coordinator, directly and ask any questions you might have. Ixcel would love to hear from you! You can reach Ixcel at (623) 696-9537 or by e-mailing her at [email protected]. Learn more about the Forever Families program Building Arizona Families HERE. You can change the lives of children in need of a family, forever!

Sources –

https://dcs.az.gov/news-reports/dcs-reports

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/106/5/1145.full.pdf

Foster to Adopt AZ Foster Children to Protect Them from the Rise of Abuse

Posted on December 10, 2020March 10, 2021 by Victoria Isaac

The COVID-19 lockdown has not only changed the daily lives of people around the world but has also made home life much more dangerous for many children in at-risk family settings. During times of heightened stress like we are experiencing now, child abuse and domestic violence cases begin to drastically increase, and children in the foster care system are especially vulnerable. Since the coronavirus pandemic, schools have shut down, and foster children do not have regular contact with people and teachers like they once did. The checks and balances of extra vigilance from other people are now unavailable.

Loving Arizona families can adopt foster children from anywhere in the United States. The lives of foster children are always difficult, but they are especially difficult right now. Did you know that at any given time in our country, there are almost half a million children in foster care? Can you open your heart and home to provide a loving, safe, and stable home for foster children around the U.S.? And keep in mind that you do not have to foster to adopt AZ children or foster children anywhere else in the country. You can directly adopt children from the foster care system without becoming a foster parent first.

At Risk Children are Facing More Dangerous Circumstances Due to the Pandemic

The spike in domestic violence as a result of the increased stress from the pandemic has resulted in increases in child abuse and neglect. When America was required to stay home to stay safe, this was not the case for the thousands of U.S. children who fall victim to abuse and neglect behind closed doors.

At risk children who show up to school with bruises, poor hygiene, poor nutrition, and unhealthy psychosocial behaviors are usually monitored through daily interactions with teachers, school staff, and school program leaders. Teachers were able to keep an eye out for these children and are mandated reporters when abuse or neglect is a concern. But now, with the majority of schools shifting to an online format, these children are no longer being watched over to ensure their safety at home. At risk children could also rely on receiving meals during the school day, and without these meals, they may not be given the proper nutrition in their homes. Workers and volunteers are working diligently to keep the at risk children they are aware of protected and safe, but sadly this is an unrealistic expectation without a network of people watching out for these vulnerable children. This means that it could take something drastic for professionals to be alerted to the abuse and neglect occurring in at risk homes around the U.S. For the hundreds of thousands of children already in foster care as a result of abuse and neglect, Building Arizona Families provides Arizona families the path to direct adoption of foster children from around the country, without the need to foster to adopt in Arizona.

No Need to Foster to Adopt AZ Children – Direct Adoption is Possible

Contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to foster to adopt foster children. We will help you walk through the direct adoption of children in the foster care system. Download our foster child adoption info kit HERE.

We can work together to help innocent children heal from abuse, neglect, loneliness, fear, and sadness. Direct adoption of a foster child is less expensive than private adoption. The states these children reside in will help facilitate the adoption of foster children whose parental rights are severed because they recognize the urgent need for children to grow up in loving families. Visit us HERE. We can help you begin your adoption journey and offer a child in great need a life full of love and safety. You can also help foster children in Arizona in many other ways, please visit us HERE to learn about more ways to help.

Building Arizona Families Encourages Us To Change A Child’s Life Forever

Almost half a million children around the United States are waiting every day for someone to adopt them and change the life they are living. Will you be the one to change their story and adopt foster children? Learn more about the Forever Families program Building Arizona Families offers to foster to adopt AZ foster children, and anywhere around the U.S. HERE. You can be the change they are praying for!

We also invite you to attend one of our informative adoption seminars. You can reach out to Ixcel Baca, Program Coordinator directly and ask any questions you might have. Ixcel would love to hear from you! You can reach Ixcel at (623) 696-9537 or by e-mailing her at [email protected].

Source –

https://www.kmvt.com/2020/06/30/casa-program-sees-rise-in-child-abuse-during-covid-19-pandemic/

Adopt Foster Kids in Arizona Facing Aging Out During the Pandemic

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Victoria Isaac

Aging out of the foster care system without ever being adopted is just heartbreaking. As the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted families willing to open their hearts and homes, the numbers are rising. When a teenager ages out of the foster care system, their chances of homelessness, drug use, pregnancy, and incarceration rise significantly. In the current pandemic, when these teenagers face the world alone, they face a massive drop in available jobs, an unsure education system, and assistance programs that are becoming inundated. To protect them from facing the harsh realities of being alone in the world, we encourage Arizona families to adopt foster kids in Arizona and around the United States.

Teenagers in Foster Care are Facing Frightening Times Now More Than Ever

A teenager that is reaching the age of 18 begins to think of their life after foster care. Where will they live? Where will they get their next meal? How will they maintain a job? There is an endless list of questions that run through a teen’s mind when facing the end of foster care. But due to recent societal concerns, aging out of the foster care system has become an even more frightening experience.

Foster children in Arizona and around the United States face heart-breaking living conditions once they turn 18 and legally become an adult. Building Arizona Families, our local Arizona adoption agency, advocates for Arizona families to adopt foster kids in Arizona or anywhere around the United States to give a teenager the loving home and consistent relationships that they have hoped for. This is a chance Bianca Bennett would have been forever thankful for if she were given an opportunity to grow up with a forever family instead of aging out.

Bianca Bennett entered the foster care system in New York when she was only two years old. Bianca reentered foster care at the age of 13 and eventually aged out of the foster care system. Like many adults who age out of the system, Bianca spent months sleeping on different people’s couches. Because of the pandemic, Bianca now faced even more unusual times. She was able to move to Florida to attend college, but the coronavirus shut down caused her to no longer have a dorm to reside in. Bianca eventually had to move back to New York and does not know what her future looks like.

So many foster youths are facing these same unfortunate experiences as Bianca. One national poll found that 25% of foster youth at the critical aging out phase are experiencing food insecurity, 40% are being forced to move, and 33% only have enough money to cover living costs for a week or less. We can help these youths in foster care! Through our Forever Families U.S. Foster Adoption Program, we can assist Arizona families who want to adopt foster kids in Arizona or around the U.S. Building Arizona Families encourages any family who is wanting to grow to consider blessing a kid’s life forever and adopt foster teens. Learn more about the Forever Families U.S. Foster Adoption Program, HERE.

You Can Adopt Foster Kids in Arizona and Change Lives Forever

Building Arizona Families is a local, non-profit, Arizona adoption agency that is accredited and licensed. Arizona families can adopt foster children in Arizona and around the United States. Foster children are in desperate need of loving homes, now more than ever. Shortages of foster homes and a rise in the number of foster licenses not being renewed are causing foster children to live in emergency shelters, a place no child should ever have to live. Today about 14,000 foster kids in Arizona are waiting for a family to welcome them home and give them a fresh start. But less than 4,000 foster homes are waiting for them.

Building Arizona Families invites you to consider adopting a foster child in Arizona or anywhere else in the U.S. Remember, contrary to what many people believe, and you do not have to be licensed foster care providers before adopting Arizona foster children. Download our foster child adoption info kit HERE.

We also invite you to attend one of our informative adoption seminars. You can reach out to Ixcel Baca, Program Coordinator, directly and ask any questions you might have. Ixcel would love to hear from you! You can reach Ixcel at (623) 696-9537 or by e-mailing her at [email protected]. Learn more about the Forever Families program Building Arizona Families offers to adopt foster children HERE. You can change the life of a foster child forever!

Sources –

https://dcs.az.gov/news-reports/dcs-reports

https://www.thenation.com/article/society/what-happens-when-you-age-out-of-foster-care-during-a-global-pandemic/

Adopting Foster Children Before They Age Out of Foster Care System

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Victoria Isaac

Over 20,000 young adults age out of the foster care system each year in the United States. Aging out of the foster care system means a child turned 18 and was never given the opportunity to have a loving and full life with an adoptive family. In Arizona, there are currently over 900 teenagers about to age out of foster care who will face the scary realities in the world alone. Teenagers that age out of the foster care system face devastating life experiences. Many find themselves in a life full of drugs, abuse, and homelessness, ill-equipped for the dangers of the world. Adopting foster children can help children or teens change their lives, grow in a healthy and loving environment, and enjoy a prosperous adult life.

Foster Kids are Big Dreamers and Have Beautiful Aspirations Too

Did you know over 70% of foster youth around the age of seventeen aspire to go to college? Even though they have experienced many heartbreaking situations, 70% of foster kids are passionate about changing their life and making a difference. Though the odds are stacked against teens in foster care, every teenager deserves the opportunity to follow their dreams and feel supported. Over 13,000 foster children in Arizona right now are questioning what their future holds. You can provide the opportunity for one or more of these children to be surrounded with love, support, and safety in their homes.

The Scary Realities of Aging Out of Foster Care

Up to 36% of youths who age out of foster care become homeless during the transition to adulthood. Many of these teenagers have suffered post-traumatic stress by being removed from their biological family and constantly moving from one set of unfamiliar people and places to another, some for their entire childhood until they age out of foster care at 18 years old.

71% of teenagers who were never adopted by a forever family will make less than $25,000 a year. The struggle to have stable employment is drastically impacted by education level, lack of reliable transportation, lack of references, and experience due to circumstances teens face in foster care.

7 in 10 girls who age out of foster care will become pregnant before the age of 21. This incredibly high number of unplanned pregnancies is related to factors girls growing up in foster care have experienced including abuse, neglect, poverty, family disruption, and general instability.

Children who experience life in foster care, especially ones who sadly age out, have a very high likelihood of developing a substance use dependence. According to research, it is believed that 1 out of 2 young adults who age out of foster care will struggle with addiction. Foster youth who have aged out also have a much higher chance of becoming incarcerated.

How the Forever Families U.S. Program at Building Arizona Families can Change Lives

Thousands of youth all over the country are quickly approaching the day they turn 18 and age out of the foster care system. They need a loving family now. Building Arizona Families, a licensed, non-profit adoption agency in Arizona, offers the Forever Families U.S. Program to facilitate the adoption of foster children by families living in Arizona. Starting this journey can begin to change the lives of foster kids and teens.

This program gives Arizona adoptive families the possibility to adopt foster children through direct adoption placement without becoming foster-certified. It is a less expensive and faster adoption process than private adoption. Find out more information about the foster adoption program requirements, fees, and time frame for the Forever Families U.S. Program at Building Arizona Families, HERE.

Adopting Foster Children can Change the Course of a Teenager’s Life Before They are Faced with Aging Out of Foster Care

Building Arizona Families invites Arizona families to consider adopting foster children in Arizona and around the United States. Remember, contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to be a foster parent before adopting foster children in Arizona. We will help walk you through the direct adoption of children in the foster care system. Download our foster child adoption info kit HERE.

We also invite you to attend one of our informative adoption seminars. You can reach out to Ixcel Baca, Program Coordinator, directly and ask any questions you might have. Ixcel would love to hear from you! You can reach Ixcel at (623) 696-9537 or by e-mailing her at [email protected]. Learn more about the Forever Families program Building Arizona Families offers to adopt foster children HERE. You can change the life of a foster child forever!

Source –

https://www.fosterclub.com/national-foster-care-month

https://www.nfyi.org/51-useful-aging-out-of-foster-care-statistics-social-race-media/

https://dcs.az.gov/news-reports/dcs-reports

The Need for Adopting Foster Kids in Arizona is Urgent!

Posted on May 7, 2020August 7, 2020 by Victoria Isaac

Arizona State University recently studied the negative effects that living in foster care have on foster children and how adopting foster kids in Arizona can completely change a child’s life. Children in foster care offered their input on what is essential for children when living in foster care. One foster child shared:

“I guess I just don’t know where I’ll be when I turn 18 though or what I need to go do. I’m not like the other kids in school who know what they’re doing. I need more help.”

There is a lot to be learned about what foster children need. Listening to children in foster care sheds light on how foster care negatively impacts them. Children are in foster care through no fault of their own. Foster children are removed from their biological homes as a result of abuse and/or neglect that endangers their well-being. Innocent, abused children enter foster care with significant trauma. Their social, emotional, and physical well-being are fragile. Adoptive families are urgently needed to support and love these children, to give them the stability and future that they need by adopting foster kids in Arizona or anywhere in the United States.

Adopting Arizona Foster Kids in Arizona Provides the Support and Stability Youths Need

Children in foster care long to be normal, to be like other children. Here is a comment about the need for normalcy:

“Having something simple like the food I like to eat at home would go a long way. Not every kid likes the same stuff… It would be nice if I could have friends over to the house like other kids or go to the mall. I can’t even have a cell phone.”

Youth in foster care are acutely aware that they are “different”. They don’t have the same support, privileges, or opportunities that most teenagers enjoy. Teenage foster children can typically keep all of their worldly possessions in one suitcase and are often afraid that their meager belongings will be stolen by other foster children. They give up on becoming attached to caregivers, as they move an average of 2-3 times per year. The same is true of friends, as they often are forced to change schools, making academic success extremely difficult.

One foster child expressed the need for positive, loving support this way:

“I know I’m doing well when adults tell me I’m doing good. If I do something as simple as my chore, I need to hear, like, ’good job’ or when I bring my grades home, and I have good grades, ’good job.’”

It’s not just teenagers that need forever families, but many teenagers “age out” of the foster care system without ever being adopted. They enter adulthood without the tools they need to succeed as adults. These vulnerable teenagers just want to be unconditionally loved and have the opportunity to succeed. The need is urgent. Please consider adopting foster kids in Arizona or from any other state in the US.

Contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to be a licensed foster care provider before adopting Arizona foster kids or foster children from other states. You must reside in Arizona to adopt foster children through Building Arizona Families. We are a licensed Arizona adoption agency that can help you adopt foster children from around the United States.

To adopt a foster child you do need to successfully complete a home study. Once you meet the general adoption requirements (find out more HERE) and a home study is successfully completed, you are eligible to adopt a foster child. Learn more about home study costs and process HERE.

The Forever Families U.S. Adoption Program at Building Arizona Families

The Forever Families U.S. Adoption Program is a life-changing program at Building Arizona Families that connects adoptive families to foster kids in Arizona and from around the U.S. Through a direct adoption placement, prospective adoptive families become able to adopt without becoming licensed to foster children first. Building Arizona Families believes in transparency. Please visit our website to download the foster child adoption info kit HERE.

Building Arizona Families Has Been Helping Families Since 2004

Building Arizona Families would be honored to walk with you on your journey to adopt foster kids in Arizona and from around the U.S. As a non-profit, licensed Arizona adoption agency, we have been helping families adopt precious foster children since 2004.

Loving, forever families are urgently needed. Contact us so that you can help a foster child’s adoption dreams come true! Reach out to Ixcel Baca, Program Manager for the Forever Families foster child adoption program at Building Arizona Families by phone at 623-696-9537 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Building Arizona Families also offers free adoption information seminars in Phoenix, as well as online. Be sure to reach out to Ixcel for seminar dates and times. Download our foster child adoption info kit HERE.

Source –

https://childwellbeing.asu.edu/youthwellbeing