In California, there are more than 62,000 youth living in foster care and more than 34,000 waiting for a permanent family. In Sacramento County alone, there are 1,690 children and youth in out-of-home care with about 350 of them needing a loving and affirming forever family.
Each November during National Adoption Month, Sacramento County wants to remind the community that you can make a difference in the life of a child by becoming a resource parent/family. These resource parents, once known as foster parents, provide love, parental care, guidance and stability to children until they can either return to their parents or provide a permanent home through adoption or legal guardianship.
Whether you are married or single, gay or straight, a homeowner or a renter, an aunt, teacher or simply a loving person that wants to positively impact the life of a child, Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services hopes you will consider fostering a child.
We have a particular need for new resource families that can help us move children from a group home setting to a family-based setting. The more families who can open their doors to our children and youth, the better. We are looking for resource families who are able to foster all ages, but particularly, teenagers, LGBTQ youth, African-American children, children with medical needs, emergency/last-minute placements and homes for sibling sets.
Sacramento County supports, trains and offers guidance, support and assistance to resource families to make sure the journey is a positive transition. While reuniting children with their biological families is the primary goal, staff can help resource parents adopt or take legal guardianship when reunification is not possible. There is now only one approval process, which creates a continuous care experience for children, as they will not have to switch homes at the point of adoption.
On November 6, we pause our busy lives long enough to speak the names of thousands of California children who are waiting in foster care for the love and support of a permanent family. Sacramento County and several adoption agencies are hosting the 31st Annual Calling Out of Names at the State Capitol in Room 112 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. During the vigil, adoptive parents, child advocates, community leaders and elected officials will take turns reading the names and ages of every single child in California that is waiting for a permanent family. Sadly, some names have been read year after year.
Another event to recognize National Adoption will be held later in the month, when Sacramento Superior Court judges and staff, Department of Child and Family Adult Services, Child Protective Services, Sheriff’s Department, Lilliput, Sierra Forever Families, Uplift, Koinonia, CASA and Soroptomist of Greater Sacramento come together to celebrate the adoptions of several children and their forever families. Along with the adoption proceedings, there will be refreshments and activities for children including hand painting, family photos, balloons and much more.
