Foster care and foster-adoption are meaningful ways for individuals and couples to fulfill their dream of parenting. Children’s Bureau offers a comprehensive foster care and adoption program that brings families together for a lifetime. The agency is in need of resource families for children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or to provide legal permanency by adoption.
In Los Angeles County alone, the foster care population exceeds 21,000 children with 200 of those foster children waiting for an adoptive family. Many of these children are siblings in need of families who are willing and able to keep them together. In fact, Children’s Bureau turns away at least 10 sibling sets weekly due to lack of families.
“Children’s Bureau focuses on keeping siblings together whenever possible,” said Amy Heilman, Children’s Bureau’s Director of Foster Care and Adoption. “The sibling relationship is a strong and important long-term bond in the life of a child. We see that children adjust better and find more success in life when they join a family with their siblings. It takes away that worry about the safety of their brother or sister. The child can then focus on adjusting to the family they have joined and their new environment.”
Although we find loving families for more than 300 at-risk children and finalize 100 adoptions annually, the need continues for more individuals and families to become resource parents, especially ones who are able to accept siblings. Resource parents (foster and adoptive) are concerned about the well-being of children and their families. Resource parents protect and nurture children, meet children’s developmental needs, support children’s relationships with their birth families and do all of this as a member of a professional team.
Children’s Bureau welcomes every individual regardless of race, age, religion, disability, marital status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression to become a resource for children. Qualifying families receive training and support throughout their journey.
Children’s Bureau now also offers a fee-for-service Domestic /Independent Adoption Home Study Program for families seeking the adoption of an infant whose birth mother is making an adoption plan for her newborn child.
Discover if you have the willingness, ability and resources to take on the challenge of helping children in need. A monthly information meeting is being held Saturday, January 25, from 10 a.m. to Noon at Children’s Bureau’s Magnolia Place, 1910 Magnolia Avenue, Los Angeles, 90007. To R.S.V.P. or for more information, please call 213-342-0162 or Toll Free 800-730-3933 or email us at RFrecruitment@all4kids.org. An application may be downloaded directly from the website at www.all4kids.org/program/foster-care/.
Submitted by Marcia Morris
