A Family Tree was recently awarded a grant funding by The Victoria S. & Bradley L. Geist Foundation to provide ongoing support and training for adoptive parents adopting from foster care. A Family Tree's mission is to support family permanency through culturally aware adoption and foster care services, to increase equity and welfare by offering family planning options for women; and to provide compassionate mental health assessment and treatment for all members of the ‘ohana. Generous grant funding from The Victoria S. & Bradley L. Geist Foundation will allow us to support our mission by preparing parents adopting from foster care and increase permanency amongst foster adoption families.
The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, based on FY 2021 data, reported that as of September 30, 2021, there are 391,098 children in foster care in the US, 113,589 of whom are currently waiting to be adopted.
According to the United Health Foundation's report on Foster Care Instability (2022), "foster care instability is associated with negative outcomes, including academic difficulties, struggles to develop meaningful attachments, chronic unemployment, physical, mental and emotional health issues, low self-esteem and self efficacy, decreased inclusion in positive social networks, and substance use and sexualized behaviors." Casey Family Programs (2018) reports that "Child development research tells us that children need consistency, predictability, and attachment to a caring adult to thrive. This is especially true for children in foster care, who have experienced trauma leading up to and including removal from their home and community."
A Family Tree first began supporting families adopting from state adoption resource exchange programs in 2018. Our program has grown in the last 2 years, and we currently support, on average, 10 prospective adoptive families per year who are interested in adopting a child from foster care. The support that our agency provides these families is critical in their pursuit of growing their family.
While our primary goal is to decrease the number of children in foster care who are waiting to be adopted, our ultimate goal is to increase the number of happy families here in Hawai'i. Thanks to the generous support of The Victoria S. & Bradley L. Geist Foundation, A Family Tree will be able to further our mission and provide quality support to families who have adopted from foster care.
A Family Tree is a Registered charitable organization 501(c)3 and licensed adoption agency in the state of Hawaii. For more information, please visit our website afamilytree.org.