My View: Joys of Fostering
By Judith Whitehead
After many unsuccessful attempts at becoming a biological parent, my very special friend decided to become a certified foster parent in hopes of adopting a young child some day.
There are thousands of children in the foster system just begging to be connected with a parent that can give them the love and attention they deserve. Many children are forced into the foster system, through no fault of their own, and have parents that are unable to provide a safe and loving environment for them.
Here are some staggering facts. There are more than 23,000 kids that age out of the U.S. foster system every year. After age 18 these children are set “free” into the world and many are not equipped to fend for themselves.
More than 25 percent of them will be involved in a life of crime, less than 3% will go to college, over 20% will become homeless and less than 60% will graduate from high school…
