More than 3,300 children from Florida’s foster care system were adopted last year, a 3% increase over the year before. Many were among the hardest-to-adopt groups – including more than 400 over the age of 13 – and many had been in foster care for over five years.
That's why the federal government has awarded the state Department of Children and Families $5 Million to continue finding homes for older kids, sibling groups and children with special needs. Florida is one of just a few states getting the extra money for exceeding standards for adopting "hard to place" children.
DCF spokesman Whitney Ray says the structure of a family setting helps all children, regardless of their age or abilities.
"Children who have that stability in their lives are able to become more productive members of society, and often times the parents who adopt them get more out of it than words can say", said Ray.
There are currently about 750 kids in Florida waiting to find adoptive parents. It costs little or no money to adopt a child from foster care.
For more information, visit www.AdoptFlorida.org or call 1-800-96-ADOPT.