Right now in Arkansas there are teens hoping a family will adopt them and provide a forever home. There are lots and lots of reasons to start that process. Here's a list to get you started!
1.No diapers to change.
Enough said.
2.You can sleep through the night.
Ditto.
3.You can show them that someone will love them for just being themselves.
It’s hard growing up without a family. Though the children in foster care did nothing to get there, they may worry that they could have done something different or better to keep their parents from abusing or neglecting them. That could lead to a lack of self-worth. These kids are lovable and need someone willing to commit to showing them.
4.There will be someone to teach you how to use the latest phones.
Let’s face it. You just learned how to operate the DVR, you have no idea why your iPhone battery is running down so quickly and you still can’t figure out how to hail an Uber car.
5.You don’t have to wait 16 years to teach someone how to drive.
No more carpools! Your teenager can even drive you places or run errands.
6.They are cooler than toddlers.
Yes, toddlers are adorable and have the cutest chubby cheeks, but they also throw tantrums, wet the bed and babble. Teens are fun. They can teach you about the latest music, carry on conversations about something that fascinates them and make sure your clothes are appropriate for this decade.
7.Teens need families as much as little ones to make their way through life and into adulthood.
Remember middle and high school? No one should have to traverse that world without the support and love of family. You can teach her how to maintain positive relationships, how to apply for college and serve as a positive role model in case she decides to have children one day.
8.Teens’ caseworkers have a good idea of the difficulties these kids face.
This information will help you be better prepared to meet his needs because you’ll know how he copes with difficult situations and the areas in which he could use additional supports.
9.You can change a life for the better; they can change yours.
Without a support system that families provide, teens who “age out” of the foster care system face a more difficult life and are more likely to experience homelessness, poverty, depression and joblessness. You could give them the support and love necessary to reach their full potential.
10.Everyone deserves a family.
Though their early childhoods may have been traumatic, they have the same wants and needs as other kids their age. They want a warm bed, a family to cheer on their successes and to hug them when they fail. They need someone to encourage them to get an education and love them no matter what.
Click here to meet some of the children available for adoption in Arkansas.