Adopting Foster Children in Arizona Fills the Missing Piece in Families 

Adopting Foster Children in Arizona Fills the Missing Piece in Families 

Posted on by Victoria Isaac

The holidays can be a very difficult time of year for children in foster care.  They long to be part of a stable forever family and a safe, loving home. There are thousands of children hoping and praying someone will love them forever and give them a place to belong.  There are over 13,000 foster children in Arizona alone and approximately 500,000 nationwide. Adopting foster children in Arizona gives them a home to celebrate birthdays, learn how to ride a bike, and have a chance to hope for a future they want.

Jessica and Chris Filled the Missing Piece in Their Family by Adopting a Foster Child in Arizona

Jessica and Chris are Arizonans who were able to change the life of a foster child forever. You can watch them share their adoption journey on our Youtube Channel, HERE. In the video, Jessica shares that she was adopted at birth. Her mother would always tell her she was not born in her womb, but her heart. Jessica knew one day she wanted to bless the life of a child in need and give them a forever family. After Jessica and Chris learned they were not able to conceive a child, they immediately knew adoption was the way they would fill the missing piece in their family. And that missing piece was Raiden.

“Raiden was an answer to our prayers. We couldn’t have asked for a better blessing,” gushed Chris. Chris also shares that times may not have always been easy, but they were fortunate enough to have Building Arizona Families walking them through the adoption process. Raiden was living in the foster care system in Texas, and Building Arizona Families was able to connect Chris, Jessica, and Raiden and provide the support and guidance needed while adopting Raiden.

Building Arizona Families Helps Connect Forever Families

No matter the adoption journey, whether it’s an Arizona family adopting Arizona foster children or foster children anywhere in the US, adoption is always beautiful! Raiden was the missing piece in Jessica and Chris’s life, and now he has his very own forever family. But there are still thousands of foster children in Arizona and around the U.S. waiting to meet their forever family. Find out how you can help at We Are Their Future, HERE.

Building Arizona Families believes every child deserves to grow up in a forever family. Will you be the answer to a child’s hopeful prayer? Contact Building Arizona Families today, and we can help you begin to build your new family. We will help you walk through the direct adoption of children in the foster care system without the need to adopt first. 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].

Protecting Foster Children with American Adoptions

Protecting Foster Children with American Adoptions

Posted on by Victoria Isaac

Children and teens in foster care can get caught in a heartbreaking cycle of instability and loneliness. Moving from place to place an average of 3-4 times per year, sometimes with their earthly belongings carried in a plastic garbage bag, and growing increasingly emotionally shut down without stable, permanent relationships.  As foster children move from foster home to foster home, they usually have to move from school to school, increasing the likelihood of negative outcomes.

Thousands of children across the country experience the negative impacts of foster care if loving families don’t intervene through an American adoption of foster children. Over 13,000 children are living in foster care in Arizona right now. Children come into the foster care system as a result of being abused and/or neglected. Children in foster care whose parental rights are severed are truly orphans here in the United States. They need the opportunity to have a positive, loving family and a bright future like other American children. Building Arizona Families helps forever families open their arms to foster children in desperate need of loving and stable homes.

All Children in Foster Care Deserve a Loving, Stable, and Fruitful Life

Our recent adoption blog described the ways Building Arizona Families protects families and children during their adoption journey, read more HERE. Imagine a life living in roughly 28 different places by the time you were only 16 years old. Foster children move an average of at least three per year, and many begin this cycle by the time they are only five years old. Sadly, the injustices children in foster care have to endure is all too common. With too few permanent homes available and family connections typically severed, too many children in foster care face the unfortunate reality of aging out of the system at the age of 18. At that point, the list of risks significantly increase.

Instead of allowing these American children to languish year after year in foster care, we can help! Families or single applicants in Arizona can determine their eligibility for an American adoption and give a vulnerable foster child the life they deserve. At Building Arizona Families, we help single applicants, couples, or families change the future of foster children with our Forever Families U.S adoption program. Every child needs love in their heart and deserves parents who care about their well-being throughout their life. Adopting foster children through an American adoption at Building Arizona Families truly saves a child’s life from further harm and provides the bright future they deserve.

Building Arizona Families Serves Children in Foster Care Through American Adoptions

We Are Their Future invites you to consider adopting an American foster child. Remember, contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to be a foster parent first to adopt American foster children. We will help you walk through the direct adoption of children in the U.S. foster care system. Download the Building Arizona Families 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.childrensrights.org/our-kids/who-were-fighting-for/

Single Women and Men can Change the Lives of Arizona Foster Children

Single Women and Men can Change the Lives of Arizona Foster Children

Posted on by Victoria Isaac

Over 13,000 Arizona foster children are living in foster care right now, and over 400,000 children are living in foster care in the United States. Unfortunately, foster children move an average of 4 – 6 times per year from foster home to foster home. This means vulnerable children can’t develop loving, stable relationships, and they often switch schools when they move as well.  That’s not counting the number of children who enter foster care and are sent back home only to re-enter the system again within the same year as a result of dangerous abuse and/or neglect.  The end result of all of this movement is that foster children, who are already traumatized as a result of abuse, grow up without the healing love of a family.  If the children “age out” of the system at 18, having never been adopted, they are at a much higher risk of drug use, homelessness, and mental health issues.   

The need for loving forever families is urgent.  Married couples and single people alike can be eligible to adopt children in foster care. These children who have already suffered so much are in desperate need of loving, stable homes where they can grow to become confident and successful adults.

Single Applicants are Encouraged to Adopt Arizona Foster Children

Single men and women can adopt Arizona foster children. An individual living in Arizona does not need to be foster care certified to adopt foster children in Arizona.  They can be certified to adopt through a successful home study. For approximately six months, the child will be welcomed into the home and then can be 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. In some cases, younger children are available to be adopted. There are also sibling groups or children who have a higher level of need who are waiting to be adopted. 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 Foster Children in Arizona

Foster children need reliable and safe adults to help turn their life away from loneliness, abuse, and/or neglect. Foster children can have difficult times forming and creating bonds with safe and supportive adults. Parents don’t have to be perfect, but they have to be safe and loving to help a foster child heal and grow into a life of purpose and trust.

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 children in Arizona. As a non-profit, licensed adoption agency, we have been helping families with the Arizona child adoption process since 2004.

Please contact us so that we can help your adoption dreams come true! You can 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 and 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.

Adopt Foster Children in Arizona to Start a Momentous School Year

Adopt Foster Children in Arizona to Start a Momentous School Year

Posted on by Victoria Isaac

The start of the new school year is here, and many kids are excitedly starting this new adventure. Shopping for new school clothes and supplies, meeting new friends, and learning new things is what most kids are thinking about at the beginning of the school year. Unfortunately, every year there are foster children scared of a new start, maybe wearing old clothes or not prepared with supplies. Every child deserves to enjoy these milestone moments.  Adopting foster children in Arizona can provide the stability, security, and loving support needed to be successful in school.

Children Shouldn’t Start the School Year Off Scared and Alone

The first day of school can make any child nervous. Imagine showing up on the first day of school without the love and support from a parent or the security of a stable home. Foster children change homes/schools on average one to two times per year, losing on average 4-6 months of academic progress each time.  When they move foster homes, they often carry all of their worldly possessions in a plastic garbage bag. They have already faced negativity, loneliness, abuse and/or neglect. Without a loving and supportive home, foster children are not prepared for school, causing them to struggle considerably. This is why it is so important for our communities to step up and adopt Arizona foster children. A forever home changes a foster child’s entire life, providing a stable foundation for a flourishing future.

Students Can Flourish When Adopted Into a Stable and Supportive Forever Home

Statistics illustrate a correlation between the length of time a child remains in foster care and how far behind they fall in school.  Kids in foster care are twice as likely to develop learning disabilities and six times more likely to have behavioral problems. Adopting foster children provides the safe home, loving and supportive family, and stability children need to succeed academically. These environmental benefits allow a child adopted from foster care the opportunity to flourish and exceed their expectations for their life.

For kids living in group homes, starting a new school year without new supplies, good clothes, or a forever family adds so much stress and anxiety to their young lives. A foster child’s future path is limited to what is available to them. When a family decides to adopt foster children, they are blessing a child with the opportunity to have success and love.

Building Arizona Families Encourages Us to Change a Child’s Life Forever and Adopt Foster Children in Arizona

Almost half a million children nationwide are in the foster care system.  Thousands of foster children hope and pray 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 from around the U.S. HERE. You can change the life of a foster child forever!

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 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://ifstudies.org/blog/the-adoptive-difference-new-evidence-on-how-adopted-children-perform-in-school

https://www.centerforhealthjournalism.org/2016/10/19/first-time-data-describe-toll-foster-care-takes-childrens-health

Adopting Arizona Foster Children Will Give Them a Summer to Remember 

Adopting Arizona Foster Children Will Give Them a Summer to Remember 

Posted on by Victoria Isaac

Summer is here! Children and teens all over Arizona are beating the heat with fun pool parties, enjoying their time off school with friends, and making new memories on family summer vacations. Sadly, there are thousands of children and teens unable to enjoy these special moments during their summer vacation. Adopting Arizona foster children can change a child’s life forever and give them a summer to remember!

Summer Vacation Doesn’t Always Bring Fun and Relaxation for Arizona Foster Children

Kids of all ages count down the days until summer vacation begins and they get to enjoy the fun, adventure, and memories it brings. Too many children, however, are not able to enjoy these summer months like their peers because they are living in foster homes. Arizona foster children are frequently being moved, changing schools, and unable to partake in summer getaways without approval from a caseworker. Enjoying summer camps, music lessons, sports, and vacations are just dreamed about for many foster children. Giving a foster child a forever family can begin cherished childhood traditions they only dream about and will bring their life joy and remarkable moments that will forever be a blessing.

Finding Happiness, Love, and Traditions with a Forever Family

Never knowing where you are going to live or what family will be caring for you is the life Arizona foster children face. If they are fortunate enough to find their forever family, they can begin a life of happiness and love. A foster child’s life changes from lonely and colorless to happy and purposeful when they find their forever family. A permanent home, family traditions, and freedom is what children all over the country wish for every day, and you can help these children by adopting Arizona foster children!

Did your family have a yearly summer vacation you excitedly waited for? Were there traditions that you still remember to this day or have continued? So many families enjoy these moments together, embracing the love and family around them. Many foster children will never experience anything like this in their lifetime. Almost 20,000 teens exited foster care last year without ever finding a family and were thrown into adulthood. These children now face a life of homelessness, mental illness, and high rates of addiction because they do not have a family and are in this world alone.

Blessing a child with beautiful traditions and precious family time creates a world unlike anything they’ve known before, and they can create new ones with you! Every child deserves to feel special and cared for. With open hearts and open arms, we can save these children from the life they are living and provide the future they deserve through adoption.

Building Arizona Families Helps Arizona Families Adopt Arizona Foster Children from All Over the U.S.

Building Arizona Families, a local licensed adoption agency, invites Arizona families to consider adopting a foster child. Remember, contrary to what many people believe, you do not have to foster to adopt Arizona foster children. We will help you walk through the direct adoption of children in the foster care system. If you would like more information on the foster child adoption process, visit We Are Their Future to find out more, 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].

It is our responsibility to save the lives of thousands of children in foster care, and we can do this with the adopt Arizona foster children program at Building Arizona families, find out more HERE.

Sources –

Click to access afcarsreport25.pdf

Adoption – Troy’s Foster Care Journey

Posted on by Victoria Isaac

Troy's adoption from the foster care system

Troy entered state foster care at three years old.  At age seven, he still hoped for adoption.  Six foster homes later, Troy was moved into a group home. In those years, he learned never to unpack the plastic bag that held all of his belongings, because he knew it wouldn’t last. At thirteen, Troy just wanted to make it until he was eighteen, and out in the world alone. He thought the young kids were most desired for adoption –  therefore they were the ones that got forever families and permanent homes.

Until Rick, a single dad, found his photo online.

At thirteen, Troy’s  whose parental rights were severed a decade ago.  He waited a very long time for someone to adopt him, but really, had all but lost hope.  Troy desperately needed someone to love him, to  give him a family and a future.  Rick said, “I can be his dad!” and he began the process of adopting a foster child from the state foster care system.

Six months later, Rick was Troy’s dad.

At fourteen, Troy enjoyed his first Thanksgiving and first Christmas with a family. His grades are improving and he now wants to be a child psychologist to help other kids who are in the foster care system.   A smart and articulate young man, Troy is eager to share his journey to educate the public about the many needs of children in foster care who pray that someone will find them, want them, and commit to their adoption into their family.

You see, everyone can do something. And Rick did. He changed Troy’s life forever.  In the process, adoption  expanded Rick’s heart in ways he never dreamed possible.

Government should not raise these vulnerable children.  Therefore, it is up to all of us, and it takes all of us stepping up to meet the needs of the tens of thousands of children in foster care. Find out what YOU can do to help the over 17,000 AZ foster children who are waiting for someone to love them…   Foster, adopt, volunteer, donate.  Find out more at: www.wearetheirfuture.org

#ForeverFamilies #EveryoneCanDoSomething