Oklahoma Hopes To Find Homes For Kids During National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month, and with Thanksgiving just a few days away, many kids in Oklahoma’s foster care system are looking for a home to celebrate the holidays in. 

Children’s advocates we spoke with say their number one goal is to get kids back with their families. When that is not possible, they start to look for other options. 

The state has teamed up with the Dave Thomas Foundation. The foundation funds adoption recruiters through their “Wendy’s Wonderful Kids” program.  

The group has a strategy when places kids in homes. They start by looking for close friends and family, then begin to explore the communities where the kids live. 

"We know the outcomes for children who age out of foster care tend to be negative. They tend to fall into homelessness where they are under educated or unemployed... Not because they are bad kids but because they don't have that safety net of family to get them into that next phase of life," said Rita Soronen, the President and CED of the Dave Thomas Foundation. 

Based on a five-year national evaluation, kids in the program are three times more likely to be adopted. 

The state department in charge of adoptions said finding a family is finding a commitment longer than just 18 years. 

"Think about even in college the dorms close at the holidays, here do you go for thanksgiving, Christmas for summer break and how much support your family provides for you as a young person and not just into your 20's but often into your mid- 20's or even in older in terms of a connection point," said Deborah Shropshire, the director of Child Welfare Services for the state of Oklahoma. 

According to the State Department of Human services, 500 kids are waiting for help and the agency is looking to recruit 800 families to help. 

You can find more information about fostering and adopting at https://okfosters.org/ 

To learn more about the Dave Thomas Foundation visit: 

https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/our-programs/wendys-wonderful-kids/