Supporting Young Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness
November 17, 2016
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, HHS Secretary
As a daughter, I’ve been blessed with the joy of being a part of a loving family.
And as a mom, I know personally the joy of being a parent. My husband and I adopted our son, and he and our daughter are the greatest blessings of our lives.
For us, every day with our children is a gift. But as any parent knows, every day isn’t always easy. That’s why at HHS, we like to say, “you don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.” You don’t have to be perfect to take part in the joy of bringing an adopted child into your family. You just need to be willing to make a commitment.
At HHS, our work to promote adoption is about spreading this joy to children and families throughout our nation. On National Adoption Day, we celebrate the progress we’ve made in helping connect millions of children with their “forever family.” And we recommit to doing more.
Unfortunately, new data show that the number of children in foster care nationally has increased for the third year in a row. Older youth and teens have lower adoption rates than younger children, and they often wait longer to be adopted. And while youth aging out of foster care are faring well in many outcome measures, they are still more likely to experience homelessness or be uninsured.
This is heartbreaking – and we can do something about it.
That’s why we’ve partnered with AdoptUsKids and the Ad Council on a series of public service announcements designed to encourage prospective parents to consider adoption –particularly adopting older youth. Because every kid at every age needs a supportive, loving home.
As part of the President’s budget request, we proposed concrete steps to help families stay together and ensure children receive the care they need and deserve in the most appropriate setting. With these services, we can help prevent children from entering the foster care system in the first place, while also ensuring those that do are properly supported. And together, we can also help families celebrate joys and overcome challenges after adoption.
We know that when children have the stability, love and protection they deserve, they can reach for their dreams. So this National Adoption Day, we’re asking people to raise awareness about children living in foster care and the power of adoption. Share these videos on social media, and let your family and friends know about AdoptUsKids.org – a place they can go to learn more about the adoption process.
Together, let’s help even more children reach for their dreams and find their own forever homes.
