(HOUSTON) – More than 60 children in CPS custody joined prospective adoptive parents Friday for a day of fun in the sun in Katy.
The adoption event at Faith West Academy brought older children aged 8 years and above with would-be parents in hopes of bringing together “forever families.”
Participants enjoyed lakeside swimming and a picnic, and gave parents the opportunity to meet children available for adoption outside the confines of a closed room.
Chip McKenzie of Faith West Academy says the event allowed parents to see a different side of children in CPS custody due to abuse, neglect or abandonment.
“We’ve got a great lake and a charitable heart,” McKenzie said. “For some of these kids, this may be their own vacation. I think everybody has enjoyed it, and these junior high and high school kids benefit from being out here.”
For older children in CPS custody, the opportunity to find adoptive families can be a challenge, says DePelchin Children’s Center spokesperson Analisa Warren.
“At 18, if they are not adopted, they age out. Remember what it was like at that age, and how much you relied on your own parents?” she asked. “Children who haven’t been adopted don’t have that.”
The event also sought permanent homes for sibling groups available for adoption, Warren said, who are able to share a new relationship with adoptive parents while maintaining a bridge to the past through their brothers and sisters.
Patrick and Kelly Hollier are just one couple who came to meet the kids who might one day join their lives.
The chance to bond with the kids, Patrick says, was an experience they couldn’t miss.
“You get a better opportunity to interact with the kids, and find out what they like,” Patrick said. “We’re looking for any kids to become a part of our family, and we want to share that love.”
60 Kids Join Prospective Adoptive Parents for Summer Fun was originally published on news92fm.com
