Adoption awareness month informs and educates
The connection between parent and child is a sacred bond. Its depth is unrivaled and, if it’s nurtured, it grows with each day. One of the most magical elements, however, may be the unconditional love found within these relationships. Despite the mistakes both parent and child make, the affection remains intact.
Children require consistent guidance, support and positive regard. Fortunately, the parental figure is most often there to buffer setbacks and heartaches. But not all children have stable parents and, therefore, lack many of these experiences. Some spend their childhood or adolescence in the limbo of foster care, waiting for an adoptive family.
National Adoption Awareness Month is November, and it exists to remind and educate the community that there are children waiting for a permanent home
“The purpose of National Adoption Awareness Month is to let people know about the need of children to have permanent connections. There are over 3,000 youth in Ohio in the custody of children’s services agencies. Parental rights have been severed. Essentially the state is their parent. They are living either in foster homes or in residential treatment centers. And unless they are adopted, they will age out of the system at age 18,” said Rhonda Greer, social worker and supervisor of adoptions at Christian Children’s Home of Ohio (CCHO) in Wooster.
Greer attended the Adoption Advocacy Day in Columbus this month, where she listened to youth discuss their thoughts about aging out of foster care. They spoke to both the public and legislators.
One of those individuals was relieved to make a permanent connection before turning 18. Another spoke of her fear that she wouldn’t solidify any relationships before aging out of the system.
It’s the small things that are often taken for granted, like a place to stay on college breaks, someone to call when there is a crisis or someone that can serve as a source of support for decision making.
“Christian Children’s Home of Ohio is committed to helping find permanency for the youth that we work with. Just recently a child, not quite 11 years old, who has been in nine foster homes since the age of four, was telling me some items he would like for Christmas. After we completed his list he said, ‘Miss Rhonda, I would like one more thing.’ I asked the child, ‘What else would you like?’ He stated, ‘I want a family.’”
According to Greer, consistent losses in a child’s life make it very difficult for the child to establish healthy relationships. It’s also tougher to focus on school work or learn basic skills necessary for aging out of foster care.
“The CCHO foster care and adoptions department recruits, trains and licenses individuals and families who are committed to youth. We do not look for perfect families. We look for families who enjoy children and see the need of children to be in families. CCHO places children from public children services agencies into foster, foster to adopt and adoptive homes. CCHO assists in the matching of children with families who have the ability to meet the specific needs of each child,” Greer stated.
She added that they offer ongoing support groups for families, and that there are state and federal subsidies available to assist families in caring for children.
For those interested in attending a monthly adoption support group or to learn more about adoption or foster to adopt, contact Greer at 330-345-7949, ext. 2336, or 330-621-1090.
Sarah Widmer is another adoptive social worker and an Ohio adoption assessor, and works as a birth parent counselor at Caring For Kids, Inc. in Cuyahoga Falls. She had a very profound message about birth parents choosing adoption for their babies or children: it’s an act of love, not an act of selfishness.
“It’s not something that people do because they don’t love their baby or they don’t want to care for their baby. Adoption is an act of love and it’s chosen because women and parents love their children so much they want to give them more than they know they themselves can give,” Widmer explained.
She added that the month is important to her because it raises awareness about all of the different types of adoptions that exist. And if families can arm themselves with accurate knowledge and information, perhaps they will be more likely to be the hope a child has been dreaming of.
Children require consistent guidance, support and positive regard. Fortunately, the parental figure is most often there to buffer setbacks and heartaches. But not all children have stable parents and, therefore, lack many of these experiences. Some spend their childhood or adolescence in the limbo of foster care, waiting for an adoptive family.
National Adoption Awareness Month is November, and it exists to remind and educate the community that there are children waiting for a permanent home
“The purpose of National Adoption Awareness Month is to let people know about the need of children to have permanent connections. There are over 3,000 youth in Ohio in the custody of children’s services agencies. Parental rights have been severed. Essentially the state is their parent. They are living either in foster homes or in residential treatment centers. And unless they are adopted, they will age out of the system at age 18,” said Rhonda Greer, social worker and supervisor of adoptions at Christian Children’s Home of Ohio (CCHO) in Wooster.
Greer attended the Adoption Advocacy Day in Columbus this month, where she listened to youth discuss their thoughts about aging out of foster care. They spoke to both the public and legislators.
One of those individuals was relieved to make a permanent connection before turning 18. Another spoke of her fear that she wouldn’t solidify any relationships before aging out of the system.
It’s the small things that are often taken for granted, like a place to stay on college breaks, someone to call when there is a crisis or someone that can serve as a source of support for decision making.
“Christian Children’s Home of Ohio is committed to helping find permanency for the youth that we work with. Just recently a child, not quite 11 years old, who has been in nine foster homes since the age of four, was telling me some items he would like for Christmas. After we completed his list he said, ‘Miss Rhonda, I would like one more thing.’ I asked the child, ‘What else would you like?’ He stated, ‘I want a family.’”
According to Greer, consistent losses in a child’s life make it very difficult for the child to establish healthy relationships. It’s also tougher to focus on school work or learn basic skills necessary for aging out of foster care.
“The CCHO foster care and adoptions department recruits, trains and licenses individuals and families who are committed to youth. We do not look for perfect families. We look for families who enjoy children and see the need of children to be in families. CCHO places children from public children services agencies into foster, foster to adopt and adoptive homes. CCHO assists in the matching of children with families who have the ability to meet the specific needs of each child,” Greer stated.
She added that they offer ongoing support groups for families, and that there are state and federal subsidies available to assist families in caring for children.
For those interested in attending a monthly adoption support group or to learn more about adoption or foster to adopt, contact Greer at 330-345-7949, ext. 2336, or 330-621-1090.
Sarah Widmer is another adoptive social worker and an Ohio adoption assessor, and works as a birth parent counselor at Caring For Kids, Inc. in Cuyahoga Falls. She had a very profound message about birth parents choosing adoption for their babies or children: it’s an act of love, not an act of selfishness.
“It’s not something that people do because they don’t love their baby or they don’t want to care for their baby. Adoption is an act of love and it’s chosen because women and parents love their children so much they want to give them more than they know they themselves can give,” Widmer explained.
She added that the month is important to her because it raises awareness about all of the different types of adoptions that exist. And if families can arm themselves with accurate knowledge and information, perhaps they will be more likely to be the hope a child has been dreaming of.
Published: November 21, 2011
