It’s Adoption Month in Michigan and November 23rd has been proclaimed as “Adoption Day”. Courts statewide are hosting special adoption ceremonies.
Michigan has 11,000 children in foster care. There are 200 of those children awaiting permanent adoption.
Demetrius Starling, executive director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Services Agency said, “MDHHS believes that every child deserves a forever family. Our goal is to find permanent homes for children as soon as we can. Adoptive families from teens in foster care are especially needed.”
MDHHS has focused on keeping families together as part of their policy over the past three years, which has resulted in 3,000 less children in foster care since 2018. They report that more than 1,650 children were adopted from Michigan’s child welfare system over the past fiscal year.
Anyone interested in adopting from foster care can contact the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange at 800-589-6273, or see biographies and photos of children available for adoption at www.mare.org.
Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland
