November 2013

In This Issue

Director's Letter: Mass Adoption Ceremony

HCJFS to Celebrate 7th Annual National Adoption Day 

Reminder About Food Assistance Changes

SuperJobs Name Changing

Top 5 Super Jobs

Foster Youth Advisory Board Back in Session

Adopt 11-year-old Keira

Keira says she would like to be adopted by both a mom and a dad who like to take trips and play games. This energetic girl says she wants parents who enjoy vacationing in spots like Gatlinburg and who like taking daytrips to places like Kings Island.  More...

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When you work in the field of abused and neglected children, there are more bad days than good.

Every child we work with – nearly 17,000 last year – has a sad story behind them. Day after day of hearing those stories can bring you down. Even 20 years after starting in this business, I’m still regularly surprised by the horrific experiences of these children. I’m always thankful we have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives.

But this month, we will have a day where the good far outweighs the bad. Nov. 22 will be a day of celebration.

That day, seven families will become whole. Fifteen children will lose the title “foster child” and become just “son” or “daughter.”

Our 7th annual mass adoption ceremony at Hamilton County Probate Court promises to be a moving event. Children between the ages of 2 and 15 – all with histories of abuse and neglect – will make their adoptions official.

There won’t be many dry eyes in the courtroom. Finalizing an adoption is always the culmination of a tremendous amount of work by our staff. Pairing a child with specific needs with a family that can meet those needs is difficult. But when you get it right, the reward is great.

We investigate more than 5,000 reports of abuse and neglect each year. In some cases, despite our best efforts, we cannot safely reunite the children with their birth parents. In those cases, the children become available for adoption.

We have nearly 200 children awaiting adoption. You can see their stories and watch their videos on one of our websites, www.hckids.org.

Most of our adoptions happen because the foster parents who are caring for the children fall in love with them and can’t imagine life without them. Children are like that. They constantly tug at your heart. If you give them a chance, even a slight chance, they can win you over.

We have had 70 adoptions so far this year. On Nov. 22, we will add 15 more. If you would like to watch it live, we will livestream it over U-Stream. Look for details later this month on our website, www.hcjfs.org.

Anyone willing to provide a safe, loving home makes a good adoptive family. But successful families generally share some of the same characteristics: they’re family oriented, flexible, have strong support from family, friends and neighbors, and can work as part of a team of professionals with the children. An adoptive parent must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Pass a physical to show they are in good physical health and capable of caring for children
• Pass a local, state and federal (if not a resident of Ohio for the past five years) background check
• Pass a home study process (includes fire inspection as well as other rules and regulations)
• Attend 36 hours of specialized training designed to help with parenting

If you are interested, visit www.hckids.org to learn more and feel free to contact us by phone, (513) 946-1000, or e-mail, adoption@jfs.hamilton-co.org.