LAFOLLETTE, TN. (WLAF) – In Tennessee, there are over 9,000 children in foster care. Over half of those children are older teenagers  who face a future without stable and caring families to guide them into adulthood.

Older youth are much less likely to be adopted than younger children, and older youth themselves are often reluctant to pursue adoption, opting instead to prepare for independent living. Yet studies have shown that having a close relationship with a caring adult is key to improving their opportunities for success.

That is why the Children’s Bureau, located within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, has designated this year’s National Adoption Month as a time to share resources that encourage older youth to consider how important a family can be even after they become adults.

Too often, child welfare, adoption, and legal professionals settle on one path forward for older youth, accepting for them a future that doesn’t come with the sense of belonging or connection that an adoptive family or guardian can provide.

National Adoption Month aims to empower communities to involve teenagers in planning for their own future to help them consider all of their options, whether it is the decision to pursue adoption or alternative permanency options such as guardianship.

For more information on foster care and adoption call Camelot at 865-272-0013 or visit HERE. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 11/09/2021- 6AM)

Related