It’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month! There are hundreds of thousands of children across the United States who have been abused and neglected. You can be a life-changing part of the solution! There are almost half a million children in the U.S. foster care system, and approximately 65,000 U.S. children whose parental rights are severed annually. These are staggering statistics! Arizona families are urgently needed to adopt foster children from around the United States.

When children experience neglect and abuse, child welfare agencies remove them from their homes to protect them from further harm. If the home environment does not change, parental rights are severed. The children remain in the foster care system unless loving families adopt them.

Arizona Foster Child Adoption Process Opens Adoption Doors Around the U.S.

Children in foster care move three to four times a year, often with their belongings in a garbage bag or pillowcase. These moves frequently require changing schools, losing friends and teachers that have become familiar, and much-needed sources of support. It is estimated that foster children lose six months of educational progress each time they have to move.

When foster children are not adopted, they age out of the system at age 18. Every year, an average of 23,000 children leave the U.S. foster care system without being adopted. Over 20% of these children become homeless the same day they leave the system. They face the world alone, without the support of a family. What happens to these children as young adults with no support is heartbreaking. They are at high risk for numerous tragic outcomes. They experience high incarceration ratesand many are victims of sex trafficking. Drug abuse, homelessness, and mental health issues are also serious risks for the children who age out of the foster care system. It’s not an overstatement to say that adoption forever changes the child’s life.

If you’re interested in adopting a foster child, we offer informative online seminars every month. You can find out about the most current schedule and RSVP on our Facebook page. You can also reach out directly to the program manager of the Forever Families program for information regarding the Arizona foster child adoption process. Her name is Ixcel Baca. You can call Ixcel or e-mail her, and she would be happy to answer any questions you have. Ixcel is available at ixcelbaca@buildingarizonafamilies.com or by calling (623) 696-9537. You can also find additional foster child adoption information HERE.

Thank you for considering opening your heart and home to a foster child who urgently needs the love and healing that your safe and loving home provides. We look forward to serving you on your adoption journey!