June 2010
Adoption = Possibilities
New campaign features older kids

Nearly 180 Hamilton County children await adoption -- about 130 age 10 or older.  

To help those children find homes, the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services this month kicks off a campaign featuring television commercials, billboards, posters and community presentations.

The campaign centers around the theme: "Adoption = Possibilities." It features teens sharing dreams such as getting a bedroom of their own, having supportive parents and a loving home, not aging out of the system alone, and staying in Cincinnati and getting a chance to make the city better.

It encourages people to call (513) 632-6366 or visit www.hckids.org for more information.

Here are some myths and realities about adopting older children and teenagers.

Myth: Older youth cannot be adopted.
Reality: Thousands of older youth across the United States have found adoptive families -- families that originally didn't think of adopting an older waiting child.

Myth: Teens and older children waiting for adoption just want to be independent.
Reality: No matter how old they get, children still need the support and benefit of a family. Having these connections equips teens and older waiting children with the skills they will need in adulthood.

Myth: Teens in foster care are "juvenile delinquents."
Reality: The majority of teens in foster care are there because they have been abused and neglected -- not because of their own behavior.

Myth: Relatives don't want to adopt the children.
Reality: A large number of relatives adopt youth from foster care. In 2006, 26 percent of all children adopted from foster care were adopted by relatives. Many more provide permanency through subsidized guardianship.

Myth: I'll have to pay for college if I adopt a teenager.
Reality: When children are adopted after the age of 13, they don't have to include their parents' income on financial aid forms. This increases opportunities for more financial aid -- and the adopted teenager's chances of completing a college degree.