As part of National Adoption Month, the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) is recognizing New Yorkers who have adopted children in foster care and professionals who work to support the adoption process. National Adoption Month is celebrated every November across the country to remind everyone that there are children and teens in foster care who cannot return home and who need loving forever families.
“National Adoption Month is about spreading awareness, and is a time to encourage everyone to learn about foster care and adoption. ACS is proud to celebrate the adoptive families who represent the diversity of New York City, who have opened their hearts to provide safe and loving homes for our most vulnerable young people,” said ACS Commissioner David A. Hansell. “While the number of young people in foster care remains at a historic low in New York City, there are still those who are waiting for their own permanent, loving families and we are committed to making sure that every child, no matter his or her background or age, has a forever family.”
New York City’s foster care system continues to improve outcomes for children through new and innovative initiatives, and the number of children in foster care has reached a historic low of under 7,200, which is a 14 percent decrease from just two years ago.
ACS is aggressively implementing its Foster Care Strategic Blueprint to improve permanency outcomes for children and families and continue to reduce the number of youth that age out of care. Most children in foster care return home safely to their families, but when that is not possible, ACS and our foster care agency partners work to achieve permanent families for children through adoption or kinship guardianship (with relatives or close friends who become permanent caregivers). We are implementing to range of strategies to continually improve outcomes for children, including the evidence-based Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program in partnership with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, which has resulted in hundreds of matches for children with adoptive parents or kin guardians.
For information about becoming a foster or adoptive parent, please visit here.
