The reality is that most orphans who age out of the sytem will be homeless, trafficked for domestic servitude, prostitution, turn to crime, or sadly, some will commit suicide. For many the best hope is that they will live in poverty, hoping to work in a factory making jeans, running shoes or toys.
As with children in our own foster care system, they will eventually grow up. The questions we need to ask are: What will they be contributing to society? What hope do they have? What is our responsibility to them, to our country, to God? Is there something we can do?
Yes, there is. We might not be able to change the world, but we can change the life of a child. We can make the world a better place by not allowing one, two, three, four, five or even six kids to know the pains of what happens if they are not adopted.
As with children in our own foster care system, they will eventually grow up. The questions we need to ask are: What will they be contributing to society? What hope do they have? What is our responsibility to them, to our country, to God? Is there something we can do?
Yes, there is. We might not be able to change the world, but we can change the life of a child. We can make the world a better place by not allowing one, two, three, four, five or even six kids to know the pains of what happens if they are not adopted.
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ReplyDeleteTo others who may have a heart to adopt a child but not the financial means be aware that Ohio has a program that makes domestic adoption of children in foster care very affordable. There are also special subsidies for children with special needs that may continue even after an adoption is final.
ReplyDeleteThe healthy Caucasian new born may have multiple adoptive parents vying for him or her, but the older child, the handicapped child, minority and mixed race children, and family groups of multiple children find it much more difficult to find a home they can call their own.
I have personally known of overseas adoptions that were very difficult once the children were here and that can be true of domestic adoptions as well especially of older children. Going through the foster care system allows a family to first foster parent the child or children so both sides know one another before making a final commitment to adopt. I have personally known several families to do that with great success including:
• a couple of empty nesters who adopted three little girls and would welcome their baby brother if he becomes available for adoption
• a single mother who adopted three neglected little boys who today are young adults who love the Lord
• my best friends in Cincinnati who adopted a precious little girl who had been terribly abused.
My prayer is that the Powell’s adoption will encourage others to follow their example.
Blessings!
http://jfs.ohio.gov/oapl/index.stm
http://adoptionphotolistingohio.org/index.php
http://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/findform.asp?formnum=01985