CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES ACROSS OHIO COME TOGETHER FOR OHIO
ADOPTION ADVOCACY DAY: CHILDREN CAN’T WAIT!
Policy makers urged to invest in adoption services to prevent children from aging out of the system
without critical family connections
Columbus, OH — Children Can’t Wait and currently too many are aging out of the foster care system. This is the
motivation behind today’s third annual Ohio Adoption Advocacy Day at the Riffe Center in Columbus. The event
called attention to the nearly 3,000 Ohio children in foster care waiting to be adopted and become part of their
own forever families. Kicking off National Adoption Awareness Month, the event drew more than 200 adoption
advocates, families, youth and elected officials.
The event created a forum for the Ohio Adoption Planning Group to urge Ohio leaders and policy makers to
commit to a renewed and stable investment in adoption so that every child is connected to a permanent family,
preventing children from aging out of foster care without critical family connections. In 2009 alone, 1,042 Ohio
children in foster care aged out of the system at age 18.
“Over 1,000 young people will age out of Ohio’s foster care system this year, many without family or economic
support or connections,” said Denise St. Clair, Executive Director of the National Center for Adoption Law and
Policy, one of the event’s speakers. “Lifelong commitments from loving adults or families promise brighter and
more fulfilling futures for our youth in foster care. As a state, we need to focus our resources on programs to
recruit, retain, and support adoptive families so that this promise can become reality. ”
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption works across the nation and in Ohio to raise awareness about
children waiting to be adopted, while providing resources to agencies that move children into adoptive homes.
Speaking on the importance of permanency, the Foundation’s President & CEO Rita Soronen remarked, “We are
fervently committed to assuring that every child waiting to be adopted has a safe, nurturing and permanent family
– it is our responsibility and our promise to each of them.”
Read More
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
To: House and Senate Members of the 129th General Assembly
From: The Ohio Adoption Planning Group and Supporting Organizations
Date: November 15, 2011
Re: Renewed and Stable Investment in Adoptions
Each November, Ohio celebrates National Adoption Awareness Month to honor adoptive
families, their children, and efforts underway to promote adoption of Ohio foster children. While
we appreciate the General Assembly partially restoring (from cuts initially proposed), in the SFY
2012-2013 budget, funds for adoptive and kinship families and independent living supports for
foster youth transitioning to adulthood, there is work that remains.
The Ohio Adoption Planning Group strongly urges Ohio leaders and policy makers to
commit to a renewed and stable investment in adoption so every child has a permanent
family, preventing children from aging out of foster care without critical family
connections.
Nearly 3,000 Ohio foster children are waiting to be adopted. These children are in the custody
of Ohio’s child protection system and rely on us to find them permanent homes. Each year,
more than 1,000 children “age out” of the foster care system at age 18.
The state’s investment in adoption subsidies for special needs children has returned to 1986
levels – an all time low from 25 years ago!
On behalf of Ohio’s waiting children, adoptive families, and all of the many public and private
agencies contributing to safe and permanent homes for Ohio’s children, we encourage you to
renew your commitment to Ohio’s waiting children. Every child is adoptable – no matter their
age, cultural background, or challenges. Every child deserves a permanent family connection.
Enclosed with this letter is a keepsake bookmark and brief profiles of eight Ohio youth waiting
for adoption. We will update you periodically on the journey these youth take to
finding/connecting with their very own forever families.
If you have questions or would like additional information, feel free to contact PCSAO 614-224-
5802, OACCA 614-461-0041, or any of the sponsoring organizations shown below.
With sincere regards,
The Ohio Adoption Planning Group
Read More...
|
Workshops
