Children's Home Society Celebrates National Adoption Awareness Month
GREENSBORO, NC, Oct. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, November is recognized as National Adoption Awareness Month. While all adoption-related issues are important, the particular focus of this month is the adoption of children living in foster care. In North Carolina, more than 12,000 children are part of the foster care system, and more than 500 youth age out of foster care each year without finding a permanent adoptive family.
These children are in need of a family to love, nurture, and protect them. They come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have special needs, some are part of a sibling group, and many are older children or teenagers.
Often the public is unaware of these children and the realities of adoption. National Adoption Awareness Month provides organizations, including Children's Home Society of NC, with a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness.
Doris and Shemroy Johnson are experienced parents of two adult children. They felt they had been blessed with their daughters and that their home and hearts were big enough to offer a set of children a safe and nurturing forever home. They had both come from large, close-knit families, so they embarked on a journey to make a difference in the lives of a group of siblings.
They never thought twice about bringing five children into their home through adoption. "So many children need homes, and siblings are the hardest to place," said Doris Johnson. "We knew if it were meant to be, everything would work out. Then the door flew open, and it was the right time."
Imani, 11, Jelani, 9, Amina, 7, Denzel, 6, and Rex, 4, came into their lives. The children had been separated in two separate foster homes. So, not only would they be members of a new family, but they would now all be together which had not been the case for years.
"The first day we met them it was wild," says Doris. "In the midst of chaos, all we could say was 'Aren't they precious!' It was the best thing ever – a blessing – we knew it was our calling."
CHS is North Carolina's leading adoption agency completing more adoptions than any other private agency in the state – over 200 adoptions last year and more than 16,000 adoptions throughout its history.
CHS has several initiatives occurring throughout November to help raise adoption awareness, including our searchable online database of children awaiting adoption www.chsnc.org/meet, as well as free virtual information sessions for those interested in learning more about foster care and adoption chsnc.org/online.
Last year Children's Home Society served more than 22,000 North Carolina children and families in its mission to promote the right of every child to a permanent, safe, and loving family. This included providing a safe haven to nearly 1,000 children with foster care families, giving 214 children a permanent family to call their own through adoption, and providing educational services to more than 15,000 teens, parents, and professionals.
For more information on Children's Home Society, becoming a foster or adoptive parent, volunteering, or providing financial support, please call 1-800-632-1400 or visit www.chsnc.org.
CHS staff and adoptive families are available for interviews upon request.
About Children's Home Society of North Carolina
Children's Home Society offers a network of services and support throughout North Carolina to help establish and sustain healthy, loving relationships in every family. For 118 years, Children's Home Society has provided a broad spectrum of programs and services including adoption, foster care, parenting education, family preservation, and teen pregnancy prevention. Children's Home Society believes in the importance of family, not only in the life of a child but also in the foundation of a community. For more information, visit www.chsnc.org.
SOURCE Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
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