OP-ED: Recognizing Adoption Awareness Month

Across the country, there are many children in need of a loving home. As November is Adoption Awareness Month, I want to take the time to highlight the options available to Ohioans so we can give these children the care they deserve.

According to the Ohio Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA), there are over 400,000 children in foster care in America, and 16,000 of those kids live in Ohio. In addition, according to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS), over 3,000 of Ohio’s youth in foster care are waiting to be adopted, and nearly half of those are teenagers. 

While many foster families can provide necessary care for these children, they are not permanent. When a child ages out of foster care, they may have nowhere to turn as adults. This is why it is so important for prospective parents to remember the option of adoption.

There are a lot of questions around adoption. One of the most asked questions is about the cost of adoption. The good news is that there are several different options. According to ODJFS, adopting an infant or internationally through a private agency can cost up to $50,000. However, adopting a child through a public children services agency (PSCA) is much less expensive, as many agencies do not charge for home studies when the adopted child is from the child welfare system. This is more commonly known as “fostering to adopt.” In these cases, you may foster a child in the foster care system before ultimately adopting them.

In 2020, the General Assembly passed House Bill 405, which I co-sponsored, that create the Adoption Linked Deposit Program. This program, which went into effect in March of 2021, provides reduced interest loans for adoption-related costs. Prospective parents can apply for loans of up to $50,000 and which serve as a line of credit for five years. The Adoption Linked Deposit Program makes adoption more affordable and accessible to Ohioans. There are so many children in need of loving homes, but here in Ohio, adoption is more attainable than ever.

We are also fortunate enough to have the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) who assists prospective adoptive parents in feeling comfortable and confident in adopting a child. ODJFS handles each case with care and caters to not only the needs of the child, but the parents as well.