What was the last thing you saw a celebrity advocate for in the media? There are many organizations, charities, and awareness movements that celebrities support. Foster care may have not previously had the attention it deserved, but recently, celebrities are taking a stand for children in foster care. The decline of foster families in Arizona is creating bed shortages for kids and teens. There is more to the story, however. These children deserve more than a foster family; they deserve a loving forever family and a healthy and happy home. Many people are unaware that the foster to adopt Arizona children process is unnecessary. Arizona’s foster children whose parental rights are severed can be directly adopted without the need to be a licensed foster family first. Hopefully, with celebrity awareness and the education around the cause, more foster kids can begin to find solace with a loving family in a forever home.
Raising Awareness in The Media Can Begin To Change Foster Kid’s Lives
The media can be very influential and raise awareness for important topics, like the hardships foster kids experience in the foster care system. Organizations are launching educational campaigns to find forever homes for children and to bring to light the harsh realities of what happens when a foster child ages out of the system without ever being adopted. Research illustrates that these children are at a much greater risk for homelessness, incarceration, drug abuse, mental illness and unemployment.
Ellen DeGeneres, a talk show host, recently brought awareness to the challenges of foster care and adopting foster children. Several families were featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about their journeys of adopting foster kids. They spoke of the beauty of their adoptions and encouraged other families to provide a safe and healthy forever home for children who have already suffered so much.
Celebrities That Struggled In Foster Care Now Advocate For Foster Kids
Celebrities come from all walks of life and many have struggled through the foster care system, just like the 13,400 foster kids in the Arizona foster care system today. Actors and athletes are raising awareness about the need for adoption for foster kids of all ages. Alex Smith, Kurt Warner, Tony Goldwin, and Ellen DeGeneres are some of the actors and athletes lending their voices to the cause. Dorian Green-Beckham, Tennessee Titans wide receiver, has opened up about his experience aging out of the foster care system. He speaks of the struggles of growing up without support and love and how he was not ready to face the world alone at the age of 18. The testaments from former foster kids can show how crucial adoption is for vulnerable children. Fostering children is a wonderful gift to a child and many foster families move from foster to adopt Arizona children. However it is not necessary – children can be adopted without fostering them first through the home study process. Adoption is beautiful – it transforms a frightened, lonely child into a secure, loving family member.
Building Arizona Families Encourages Families To Adopt Foster Children
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 AZ foster children. Also,if you live in Arizona, you can adopt a foster child from any state in the U.S. 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, 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 ixcelbaca@buildingarizonafamilies.com.
As good citizens and neighbors, let’s work together to transform the lives of hundreds thousands of vulnerable children in foster care. Find out more HERE.
Sources:
http://www.arizonansforchildren.org/page/arizonas-foster-children
https://www.kvc.org/blog/actors-athletes-raise-awareness-of-youth-aging-out-of-foster-care