No child is unadoptable: How a local program connects children to families

All children deserve a loving home, no matter their age or background. Giving them that home is the goal of the Child-Focused Recruitment program at the Children's Home Society of North Carolina.

"One more day in foster care is too long," said Donna Henderson, Children's Home Society senior program director.

The Child-Focused Recruitment program serves the longest-waiting children in foster care and reduces the number of them leaving foster care at age 18 without having a place to call home, Henderson said.

The program's strategic approach builds relationships between children and past connections, which leads to significantly more matches. The team at CHS works with children who come from traumatic family situations or have had difficult home lives to help them understand their past, learn who is important to them and prepare them for a family.

"They also work with the child to help determine what the child wants from a family and how they can be a part of a family because that's something that they may not have had a lot of time experiencing," says Michelle McEwen, CHS program supervisor.

According to McEwen, children who have not had lasting relationships may not know how to interact with a caregiver or even their peers.

"When we think about adopting a cute little baby that hasn't had things in their lives that make it more difficult to help them, that is a much easier placement than a child who may have had to fend for themselves and doesn't know how to be parented," said McEwen.

That's why finding the right family who will learn how to care for a child is essential. CHS starts by searching for family members, friends, or other connections who may be a good fit for adoption.

"Research shows that biological connections have better long-term outcomes for children," said McEwen.

Other families may also be good matches, so CHS searches for people who already care about the child.

"We search out and engage, where appropriate, extended family members, teachers, friends, football coaches, past placement providers and anyone else who may have cared about this child," said Henderson.

Program recruiters work with each child to build a relationship based on trust and respect. They are the child's partner in permanency.

"It is the recruiter's role to bring the youth voice to the conversation," said Henderson. "Going through the program, it is very personalized for each youth."

Henderson recalls stories of children reconnecting with family members they didn't know existed, fathers who didn't know they had children and grandparents who had never met their grandchild.

"I really feel so connected to those stories where we find the family member who didn't know the child was in foster care," said McEwen. "Sometimes we get a response to our initial calls that is, 'I've always wondered what happened to that baby.' Sometimes we get, 'I didn't know that I could have contact because they weren't with their family anymore.'"

Children who receive services are three times more likely to leave foster care for a safe and permanent home, and CHS strongly believes that no child is unadoptable.

"It is important because every youth deserves a family to call their own and be loved unconditionally," said Henderson. "You are never too old to call someone Mom or Dad."