Each year, about 500 state foster children are in need of adoptive families in Connecticut, yet there are only 45 approved families waiting to adopt. More families are desperately needed! I urge you to consider opening your hearts and homes. As a foster and adoptive parent of four children through state foster care, I share some thoughts.

Children enter into the foster care system, or are placed for adoption out of no fault of their own. These children can feel loss, hurt and emptiness without even knowing why. When people learn that we adopted our children the first thing I hear is, “I have always wanted to do that.” The second thing I hear is, “I don’t know if I could do that because it would hurt if they had to leave us.”

Yes, heartbreak can be part of this process but, like so many other foster/adoptive parents, I am less afraid of grieving than I am of what will happen to these children if no one takes the risk to love them. 

I encourage you to take your interest to the next step. Call an agency or go to a free information session (our agency CT Adoption Services has monthly sessions in Groton)- www.CTadoptiong.org.

Amanda Shank

Waterford