A few years ago, our adoption support group, Hearts for Adoption, wanted to find a way to get the word out about the roughly 143 -153 million orphans worldwide (according to UNICEF). Our support group has a diverse set of families in it. Some have adopted internationally, some privately, and some through the Canadian foster care system. It broke our hearts that within our own country, there are 30,000 adoptable children waiting for forever families who are currently living in Canadian foster homes.
My husband and I know full well what can happen to children that age out of foster care at the age of 19, without ever being adopted. Homelessness, addiction, and incarceration are just some of what we have seen happen to some of the teens from the local group home once they age out of care and have to move out on their own. Without a committed, loving family, who can they be expected to turn to for help when it comes to jobs, parenting, and just life in general? Life is not easy, but when you don’t have the basic support system of a family, it can be almost impossible. Throw into the mix the possibility of early (or ongoing trauma) and the loss of your biological family at some point, and the results can be devastating.
Our group decided that while we can’t solve this entire issue, one thing we could do is promote adoption and be a voice for those waiting for a family. My good friend, Gigi, asked me if I had any idea of what song we wanted to use as background music in this video clip. Right away, the song “Wanted” by Dara Maclean popped into my head. This song has brought me to tears many times on our own journey as foster parents seeking to adopt our foster daughter. I personally think that one of our most basic human needs is to feel wanted. We long to know that we have a place to belong—a place that is ours.
Our journey as foster parents has brought us through many low, hard places. Not everything is solved for every child that has come through our home. My heart wrenches at the thought of children moving their way through the foster care system year after year, home after home, but never really having just one place of their own. A home to call THEIRS, a family to call theirs. Can you imagine what it might be like to grow up without someone to call mom or dad? These children know they are different, and they know it hurts. One of our foster sons who stayed with us for a short while would cry and say, “Why can’t I have a normal family? Why do I have to move around? Why can’t I have a regular mom and dad?” I know of and have parented some kids who have moved through 23 different foster homes in their short life of six years. Adoption can be hard. There are many challenges. The end result is a beautiful melding of lives and hearts for those who do find their forever families. Please join me in speaking up for those still waiting, for those still seeking, for those still looking for a permanent family. Adoption literally changes the world.
Please visit our photolisting site to see children who are available for adoption.
