Thousands of kids in Iowa and across the country will see their dreams come true this weekend as one of the main events in National Adoption Month. Amy Stein, director of the parent recruitment effort for the Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association, says Saturday is “Mass Adoption Day.”
Stein says courthouses across the country will open their doors for mass adoption finalization ceremonies where “hundreds of thousands of kids will be adopted into loving, permanent families.”
Stein says there are three mass adoption sites in Iowa.
One is in Pottawattamie County, one in Hamilton County and also in Polk County. Stein says it’s the highlight of National Adoption Month and also focuses on the need for adoptive parents in Iowa.
Stein says the KidSake program she runs is always trying to find people interested in adoption. She says there are about 4,300 kids in foster care and over 100 of those kids are waiting to be adopted. Stein says there are a large number of kids over the age of eight and teenagers that need a family, and she says they need more families to adopt older children.
Stein talks about the tools needed to be an adoptive parent, saying you first need to love parenting and love children. She says you also need a good sense of humor and a strong support system behind you for when there are some bumps in the road. But, Stein says even with the bumps, adoption is “worth it in the end.”
Stein says one of the other events in conjunction with the mass adoption in Polk County is an adoption fair for potential parents. That is at the Polk County Courthouse from eight to noon and local agencies will have booths set up with information. Stein says you can also call toll free at: 800-243-0756 to find our more, or visit the KidSake Program website at: www.iakids.org.
Related web sites:
Adoption information