Adoption month near to my heart

I have no idea how the local, regional or national elections will turn out as I write this. But, as you read this, we have a new president, like him or her or not. I don’t have an opinion, either way, but I know Jesus and He is my president.

But, did you realize that Jesus was kind of the first foster child? Kind of the first adopted child, at least that’s written about?

That’s pretty cool when you think about it. Joseph took him as his own and was his earthly father just like so many adoptive and foster parents do for hundreds of children every year.

There’s a problem, though. There are simply not enough foster and adoptive parents in this country or world.

This is a topic near and dear to my heart as my husband Bill and I were foster parents for several years and became adoptive parents, too. We would not have a family were it not for the miracle of adoption.

“Today, more than 114,000 children in the U.S. foster care system are available for adoption,” states davethomasfoundation.org. “These children entered foster care through no fault of their own, as victims of child abuse, neglect or abandonment and their parents’ legal rights have been terminated.

“Each year, more children enter the system than are adopted. The typical child who has been freed for adoption is at least 8 years old, moves three or more times in foster care, may have been separated from siblings and will wait five years or more to be adopted. Tragically, tens of thousands will never be adopted and will leave the system at age 18 without families.”

November is Adoption Awareness Month and Nov. 19 is National Adoption Day.

National Adoption Awareness Month began in 1990 and it is hoped that shining a light on the need for more foster and adoptive homes will lead to more children finding safe, loving homes.

We did not begin our marriage in 1984 wanting to adopt or foster. We simply knew we wanted children. Months of “trying” became years. It became clear to us that we simply wanted a child or children and it didn’t matter from where they came. We just wanted to feel complete, whole, as a family unit, to love and cherish a child or children and make them smile.

Adoption was expensive and a long, 12-plus year wait before we were handed our youngest child at three-and-a-half weeks. Then, a foster son joined two other foster children and our newly adopted baby. Two years later, he, too became our forever child. Our other foster children aged out of the system and moved on with their lives.

One of our very fondest memories is the day our little boy, still four-years-old at the time, took my hand in the parking lot of the Montgomery Zoo and said, “Ya’ll can be my new mommy and daddy if you want to.” Chills and tears, even to this very day. It would be two years before he was freed for adoption so we could be a legal family, but he was ours from that very precious moment in the parking lot.

That adorable little boy is now 23 years-old and our baby girl is 20.

It was not always easy, but it was for sure blessed.

Would you consider opening your heart and home to a foster child and perhaps, adopt?

What does it take? Love, dedication, understanding and a willingness to continue on, even when the going gets tough. Some children are adopted, then literally given back because. Heartbreaking.

In 2015, more than 4,000 children were adopted by their forever families during annual National Adoption Day. Let’s make even more dreams come true in 2016.

Call your local county Department of Human Resources for more information.

Jan Murray is a staff writer for The Southeast Sun and Daleville Sun-Courier. The opinions of this writer are her own and not the opinion of the paper. She can be reached at (334) 393-2969 or by email at [email protected].