In celebration of National Adoption Month, a record number of foster care adoptions took place in November. They were completed by Lund through Project Family, in partnership with the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF). Project Family is a collaboration formed in 2000 between DCF and Lund to find forever families for children living in state custody.
Lund celebrated National Adoption Day with 31 adoption finalizations at three courthouses across the state on November 17th. There were over 20 adoptions at the Franklin County Probate Court alone! Presiding Judge, Judge Bruce, declared it “the best part of my job”.
Lund also held an open house on November 15th at our Hoehl Family Building with over 100 people in attendance. Families who have come together through adoption enjoyed pizza, participated in a scavenger hunt, received books from CLiF, the Children’s Literacy Foundation, and attended therapeutic workshops and information sessions.
Of the over 60 adoptions during November:
- • Over 20 were by relatives or family friends
- • About 35% included agreements for post-adoption contact
“Kids need permanency to thrive and they need it as quickly as possible,” said Lund Director of Adoption Wanda Audette. “They also benefit from staying connected to their families of origin. Adoption Month is a celebration of children having nurturing relationships that sustain them throughout their lives.”
There are currently about 80 children waiting in Vermont foster care for families to adopt them. Most are school-aged, many have special needs, and some are part of a sibling group who want to stay together.
“All children deserve safe, loving and permanent families,” said DCF Commissioner Ken Schatz. “I urge all Vermonters to open their hearts and homes to the children who are waiting for their forever families.”
Adoption Month was also a great time to recognize and celebrate the:
- Over 400 children in custody who will safely reunite with their biological parents this year
- Parents who did the hard work to make this possible
- DCF social workers and service providers at Lund and multiple other family service organizations who supported them
To learn how you can help a child in Vermont foster care, go to http://www.imreadytohelp.vt.gov
To learn about adopting a child in state custody, call Project Family at 1-800-746-7000.
