Search Results for: blog adopting an older child series overview

Adopting from Guatemala

This is the beginning of a series on adopting from different countries. For a basic overview of how to select a country for international adoption, please see How Do You Choose A Country? Country Basics Guatemala, about the size of the state of Tennessee, is located in Central America and boarders Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. The climate is tropical and the landscape boasts of mountains with some plateaus and coastal plains. The population is 12,293,545. The distribution of wealth is very uneven with an estimated 75% of the population living below the poverty line. What Are The Children … Continue reading →

Adopting an Older Child–Series Overview

When people hear about adoption their typical impression is that most adoptive parents either have newborns placed or adopt internationally. The majority of people consider the adoption of a child from Foster Care as an adoptive parent’s last choice. It’s just the general impression of society, probably due in part to the lack of funding there really is when it comes to children in the system. In addition, families who adopt older children may encounter negative remarks, or judgments from friends and family. Choosing to adopt an older child internationally or from the United States Foster Care System is generally … Continue reading →

Helping Foster Care Teens Grow Up

My last blog talked about a problem most people rarely think about: the high rates of homelessness, unemployment, dropping out of school before gaining a diploma, and unplanned pregnancy found among older teens who suddenly stop being cared for by the foster care system once they turn 18. Many 18-year-olds are still in high school. Many more foster youth will not finish on time because of difficulties caused by changing schools due to frequent foster care moves. One agency providing tutoring to foster children estimated that their clients’ reading levels were 5-6 years behind their age—this means an 18-year-old reading … Continue reading →