Gulf Coast Family

Here in Florida, more than 33,000 children currently live in some type of foster care setting. Many have spent most of their lives in this "temporary" situation, and have moved within the child welfare system more times than they care to remember. About 65% of these children will never return to their birth families.

These are very real children who desperately need families of their own. Because the public is so often unaware of these kids and their needs, we would like to draw special attention this November to these waiting children during National Adoption Awareness Month in the hope that we can unite many of these young people with permanent, adoptive parents.

These waiting children come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have physical or mental disabilities; some are part of a sibling group; some are of African American, Native American, or Latino heritage; and many are older children or adolescents. Advocates from organizations such as the Heart Gallery of Pinellas and 4Kids of Southwest Florida Inc (an outreach of Calvary Chapel) are working to prove that there is no such thing as an unadoptable child.

Those who are thinking about adoption should know that, according to the Department of Children and Families adoption has changed significantly over the past 30 years. You don't have to be married, childless, rich, or own a house to adopt. You DO have to provide a stable, loving home, and be able to help your adopted child work through issues raised by his or her past.

If you are interested in learning more about waiting children here in Pinellas and the adoption process here in Florida, we encourage you to contact the Heart Gallery of Pinellas at (866) 233-0790.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can be involved in the Pinellas Foster Care Program, we encourage you to contact 4kids of Southwest Florida Inc. at (727) 471-1444 or visit them at 8900 US 19 north, Pinellas Park, FL 33782.

Foster Care Adoption: Facts & Figures

Every year, more than 100,000 children in foster care are available for adoption. Many spend more than five years waiting for permanent, loving homes. Between 2000 and 2009, more than 25,000 children were joined together with their forever families as part of National Adoption Day activities.

Who are these waiting children?

• There are an estimated 510,000 children in foster care in the United States, and more than 129,000 of them are waiting to be adopted.

• Through no fault of their own, these children enter foster care as a result of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment.

• The average child waits for an adoptive family for more than two years.

• 19 percent spend 5 years or more waiting for a family (24,300 children).

• The average age of children waiting for an adoptive family is 8.

What happens to them?

• 51,000 children are adopted from foster care.

• More than 26,000 children reach the age of 18 without ever finding a forever family

Who adopts from foster care?

• Children in foster care are adopted by three types of families: former foster parents (59 percent), relatives (26 percent) and non-relatives (15 percent).

To find out more about adopting a child in the United States, please visit www.nationaladoptionday.org or call 1-800-ASK-DTFA.