“Adopting one kid doesn’t change the world, but it changes the world for that one kid,” said Brannon. “It’s entirely true, because it does mean the world to these children.”
“The simple word is joy, but I don’t really think you can capture it with just with one word,” he added.
National Adoption Day is an effort to raise awareness of the need to find permanent, loving families for the nearly 408,000 children waiting to be adopted in the United States. In Montgomery County, there are roughly 200 children currently in foster care, about half of whom are still waiting for a permanent, loving home.
Older kids, sibling groups and children with special needs often wait even longer before finding a permanent home, but the agency has seen an uptick over the last several years in the number of adopted teens, said Craig Rickett, associate director of Montgomery County Children’s Services.
Tim and Emma Henderson both come from huge extended families, and Hudson, Peggy and Jacob make four kids they’ve adopted. Altogether, the Hendersons have 11 kids, four of whom are grown and out of the house.
“We just love kids,” Emma Henderson said. “When I see a need, I want to help. Fostering has put us in that position where we’re able to do that. When you have a kid come in your home and hear their story and be their bond and their want for love, it’s hard not to be ready.”
Tim Henderson expressed that readiness, too.
“We’ve also said that anytime we foster a child that comes into our home, if it turns out they’re not going back to their family, that we want to save them more trauma from losing the next family they’ve come to love. If the child comes to us to foster, they’re there for three years, and they come up with adoption, they’re going to stay with us,” he said.
The court finalized 100 adoptions in 2019, but fewer kids were adopted during the pandemic. In 2021, Montgomery County finalized 61 adoptions, with eight of them taking place on National Adoption Day.
So far in 2022, the county is on pace to finalize 75 adoptions.
Potential adoptive parents must be at least 21 years old and have sufficient financial resources to support children and provide housing. Adoptive parents can be married or single, rent or own their home, and do not have to have other children — just a desire to be a successful role model for a child in need. Children Services provides the 36 hours of required pre-service training at no cost, and facilitates the required home study.
“Being a foster parent or an adoptive parent is awesome. There’s lots of kids that need the love and attention,” Emma Henderson said. “Don’t be afraid to step out, and love them while you have them. Sometimes it’s a tough situation, but in the end when you go to sleep at night you know you did your best, and showed that child, or those children, that there’s someone who loves them.”
Informational meetings for foster parenting and adoption are held every month. The next one will be held virtually on Dec. 6, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, email MONTG-Recruit-Foster-Adopt@jfs.ohio.gov.
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