The largest number of adoptions completed each year are foster parents adopting their foster children who cannot return home.

Fostering is an excellent way to provide a stable family for children while you wait for the child who is meant to become part of your family permanently. Fostering a child before adopting provides families and children the opportunity to bond and determine if the match is a good fit for the child and the hopeful adoptive family. Although many children return home after being in foster care, when they cannot, adoption by the foster family can prevent the child or youth from having an additional move.

Additionally, there are many children and youth in our state waiting for a permanent family whose parents’ rights have already been terminated. These children have no family to go home to and are in danger of aging out of foster care without a loving family. Visit the West Virginia Adoption Resource Network to see profiles of children and youth who need a forever family.