WOOD COUNTY, Ohio — More than 3,000 kids in Ohio are in foster care waiting to be adopted. Nearly half of them are teenagers.
According to the U.S, Department of Human Services, only 5% of kids between the ages of 15 and 18 were adopted last year.
November is National Adoption Month and this year's theme is "Small Steps Open Doors," which hopes to stress that individuals are never too old to need permanent, lifelong relationships and meaningful connections with supportive adults.
WTOL 11 spoke with a Wood County family who wants to change the narrative around adopting teens. Suzanne and Nancy Eames became licensed foster parents in 2019.
Fast forward to today, they've adopted two different pairs of siblings. The oldest pair is 21 and 20 and the younger ones 4 and 6.
They say that while both age groups have been a blessing to them, there is a stereotype around adopting teens: you won't get to experience any "firsts" with them.
Nancy said it's been the complete opposite.
"We took them on their first plane rides, we took them on their first trips out of state," Nancy Eames explained. "We exposed them to new foods and new experiences, and it was really fun to experience that along beside them and have those firsts with them."
Suzanne Eames explained if you’re thinking about foster care or adoption, having an open mind will be key.
"Because you can read things on paper and people can tell you things, but you don't know it until you live it," she said. "So, you have to be willing to accept that it's a big life change and you can't really predict how it's going to change."
If you've been looking for a way to help support kids in foster care but don't have the means to foster or adopt, Wood County Children Services will have a booth at the Countdown to Christmas Fest happening Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Perrysburg. Here, you can drop off donations of toys or gift cards. You can also learn more about foster care.
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