It's finally time to share a mission that is near and dear to the Queen B's heart. And I'm not talking about King B. I'm talking about the adoption of older children. Our oldest child was adopted at the age of 11, actually 12 by the time it finalized. We adopted from the foster care system in our state. Many people in our country still don't realize the great numbers of children lost in the foster care system here in the United States. These kids are "legal" orphans rather than the traditional images we have of kids whose parents and family are deceased - or given up by an unwed teen mother. These kids most often have birth parents with an inability to provide in some way - and yes, perhaps alcoholic, drug abusers or mental health cases. Most of these children have already suffered a multitude of life losses before they ever reach the system. Then they bounce from one foster situation to another - becoming more wounded and emotionally damaged. At that point, they have so many challenges that the odds against a successful adoption are high. So, the sooner kids from the system can be integrated and adopted into a forever family, the better their chance at a successful family life.
Popular Christian music artist, Mark Schultz (that's Mark in the photo), was adopted as an infant from the foster system in our home state. In fact, he was adopted through the same agency we used for our adoption. He also served in a mission to Mexico, ministering to orphans. He felt called to do more and is biking across America to raise funds for the cause of providing for orphans and widows. He is keeping a blog of his journey and has posted videos as part of his daily log of events. It is really touching - and you'll learn much about this cause if you check it out further. For any who feel even somewhat called or interested, I encourage you to check into your local resources. Don't assume that you can't afford it financially, because there are subsidies and benefits available. In our case, all legal expenses were covered - as well as a lot of other expenses we had relating to the adoption. In our state, the children receive medical coverage through the state too. And if you are seriously considering adoption, please consider adopting a child from here in the United States. These kids are in our own backyard - and are often being overlooked for infant adoptions from other countries. I feel passionate about any adoption, but especially about adoption of kids that are being lost to the system.
Adopting an older, hurt child is not an easy thing to do. But it's extremely rewarding. And we feel very blessed. It has been an awesome experience to see our daughter grow and heal and become such an integral part of our family - now a beautiful young lady with much potential and a life of opportunity ahead.
2 comments:
You are so right...that is NOT an easy thing to do and it takes a very special couple to welcome an older, and usually abused/lost/and/or angry child who has been a product of the foster care system into their house.
Huzzah, huzzah to you and King B and thanks for the great information and heartfelt post.
Thanks, TKW. Believe me, we had a lot of doubts througout the process. But looking back, I know we made the right decision. I feel like we should have made an intimate video diary of our girl covering then to now - like a documentary on how far she has come. That would be the greatest testimony for the need - and the potential of these kids. But there is just so much that can't be shared due to privacy that it wouldn't be truly effective. I'm an advocate for adoption in any form, but I have a real soft spot for kids from this situation. 10 or 11 is almost like the age of "last chance." If they aren't adopted by then, their chances greatly diminish. It's so sad.
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