When many people think about adoption they think about adopting babies or toddlers, but there are thousands of teens and older children in the child welfare system waiting to be adopted by loving forever families. Many of these children have been in foster care for a long time, moving painfully from placement to placement as they wait for a permanent place to call home. Read on as we answer questions and address some of the most common misconceptions about adopting teens:
Q: Aren’t teens a little old to be adopted? What’s the point if they’re almost legal adults?A: No matter how old you are, you never outgrow the need for family. Like every child, teens in the foster care system crave the love, guidance, and stability that a family provides to help them grow into successful adults. Teens who have been adopted are more likely to finish school, go to college and to achieve the emotional stability necessary to lead healthy, productive lives than their peers who were never adopted and aged out of the system. Many teens who have been adopted not only thrive in their new adoptive family, they say that their adoption was the best thing that ever happened to them!Q: What sort of people adopt teens?A: All kinds of people choose to adopt teens, from single parents adopting for the first time to seasoned foster parents with several children at home. Some people even prefer to foster or adopt teens over other ages! With dedication, adoption education classes and support from an experienced adoption agency, anyone can become a successful foster or adoptive parent for a teen in need.Q: What about college? How will I pay for that?A: There are a number of options for adoptive parents looking to pay for their teen’s college education. For example, children who were adopted by age 13 or older can claim “independent student” status on their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form which will help them qualify for financial aid. Additionally, many states and organizations have special programs to provide assistance to adoptive youth looking to attend university and/or vocational/technical training programs once they graduate from high school.Q: Isn’t it true that adopting teens is way more difficult than adopting younger children because they have so much more “baggage”?A: The adoption process can be challenging for adoptive parents no matter how old the child is! Just as each child enters the foster system under a different set of circumstances, every child, regardless of age, will face their own unique challenges as they adjust to being a part of a new family. Although this adjustment period will certainly look different for teens than it would for toddlers, it is a myth that teens are somehow inherently more difficult or carry more "baggage" than children of other ages. Working closely with your adoption agency, joining a support group, taking advantage of counseling resources and signing up for pre- and post-adoption education classes will go a long way to helping your teen adjust successfully to being in their new home.Q: I’ve never thought about adopting an older child. Why should I consider adopting a teen?A: Adoption is a lifeline for teens in foster care! Although they might seem big and tough, teens living in the foster system are incredibly vulnerable. As the age of a child in foster care increases the likelihood that they will be adopted decreases, and those teens who age out of the foster care system without being adopted are faced with having to make a life on their own with very little support. As a result, many teens who age out of the foster system become homeless or get involved in high-risk behaviors.
Right now, throughout the country, there are thousands of teens and older children in foster care who are looking for the love and stability of a forever home. Adopting a teen can be an incredibly rewarding experience for everyone involved. If you or someone you know if you know is considering adoption, be sure to ask about the possibility of adopting an older child and find out what’s involved. Adopting the teenager you never knew you wanted might end up being the best decision you ever made.
