National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month and Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York said there are many teenagers awaiting adoption by the right family.
Approximately 20,000 foster children in the U.S. “age out” of the system each year, according to the Child Welfare League of America. “The need to adopt older adolescents and teens is often forgotten, yet these children benefit greatly from having a sense of stability and trust,” said Herb Stupp, CEO of Little Flower.
Without the continued support and guidance of a caring adult, they are vulnerable to homelessness, drug abuse, crime and incarceration. “We need everyone to remember that all children, regardless of their age, deserve to have parents to guide and love them,” Stupp said.
A 2007 national survey on adoption attitudes found that three in 10 Americans have or are considering adoption. However, 45 percent of Americans share the misconception that children are in foster care due to juvenile delinquency.
In fact, most children are in foster care through no fault of their own, as victims of neglect, abandonment or abuse, the agency said.
Little Flower is one of the largest human services agencies in New York State serving over 2,000 people annually; 39 percent of those served through their foster care programs are boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 21.
For more information on how to become an adoptive family to a teenager, please call Little Flower’s Homefinding Department at 1-800-323-0316 or visit www.littleflowerny.org.