Older children have the hardest time within the foster care system. Although many children hope to one day be adopted, many also know that they will probably age out of the system. Why is this? Why is it that families would prefer to adopt an infant, rather than adopting an older child? Many myths include that the child has too many issues, has a “bad” reputation, or is hard to get along with. Many people fail to realize that many of the issues that older children face in the foster care system, are in many cases the same issues that biological born children deal with. Teenagers will be teenagers, and will go through similar obstacles throughout life. It is not a “foster care syndrome”, it is simply called going through puberty and adolescence.

Because of the rejection that older children face, they are more likely to lash out and disengage themselves from others. We have witnessed many cases where we have a loving family hoping to adopt a selective child, and that child will completely “act out” and disrupt the placement. Possibly because the child is accustomed to rejection, they can not handle the idea of finding a loving family and a permanent place to live.

Downey Side’s sole purpose is to advocate for children and educate families of the various misjudgments that many people may have about children in the foster care system. An older child in the foster care system still has the same value of an infant in the foster care system. They are both indeed worthy of being adopted by a loving family.

Kimberly K. Frink
Director of Communications
Downey Side Inc., Mission Office

Imagine your landlord knocking on your door in the middle of the night, and telling you that you had to leave the premises now. You also had to take all of your belongings with you when you left. Chances are that this will not happen to you because there are several laws protecting a tenant’s rights. But this scenario happens to thousands of homeless children throughout the country each day. In many cases, children are moved from home to home, never having the stability of love or permanency.

There are over 500,000 waiting homeless children in America. This is a big problem that the government has tried to tackle for many years. Unfortunately, there are not 500,000 families waiting to adopt these children. Older children are looked over by many families seeking to adopt, simply because a family may want to adopt a newborn child- instead of someone older. Rejection, depression, and regression are just a few of the feelings that older homeless children feel.

As a not-for-profit adoption agency, it is Downey Side’s mission to advocate for these youth. We must realize that children should be just that- children. It is unfair that many children have to deal with adult issues, which lead to many disorders and not being able to grow maturely within society. Every child has the right to a permanent family, but statistics show that this is not the outcome. Children age out of the system at the age of 18. It is at 18 years old that they are no longer looking for a family, but now are forced to look for a job- to try to survive.

-Kimberly K. Frink
Director of Communications,
Downey Side Inc.

In memory of Michael Hydiacheck 1965-1990

Isaiah 58:7-7
“The kind of fasting I want is this; remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor.”

Over the next several weeks many cultures focus on key-events in their religious calendars. Christians and Jews especially at this time, who observe Both Easter and Passover. Downey Side is especially sensitive to Isaiah’s words “open your homes to the homeless poor” or as we are found saying, “waiting American children.”

The exact number is constantly changing and unfortunately always on the rise. The number which is always around the half-million mark in our country would not seem that difficult to close the gap, given the millions of Americans who are above the poverty level. Isaiah suggests the kind of fasting that is suggested closes in on multiple issues; oppressed people, injustice, the hungry, the poor, and the homeless, can all apply to waiting American children. The social tragedy does not end there. Many of these beautiful children have become hostages in our government system, locking them in as wards of the state. With endless insurance policies, endless service people, most of who never lay eyes on them, not to mention the monies spent in endless court appearances. There are many handlers bureaucratically getting paid for a variety of services, however once the child finds an adoptive family, the child moves out of the category that pays for multiple services. It certainly challenges those who created such a system knowing that the system will tend to keep them from being adopted.

Before government became involved with homeless children, the local church groups would announce to their parishioners that homeless youth were in the back of the church, and were looking for a family to adopt them. I am not suggesting to return to that system, but it does concern me that the incentives that were created to help children find a family, often prolongs them in the foster care system and away from being adopted!

-Father Paul Engel, OFM Cap
Mission Director

Many children enter into the foster care system because of neglect or abuse within their immediate homes. There is one case in particular that comes to mind. A child that we’ll call Johnny was born to a woman who was not doing too well. Like most children, Johnny entered care due to neglect rather from abuse. He was seven when his school reported that he’d missed far too many days of classes. It turned out that he was left unsupervised for as much as a week at a time! Johnny was also responsible for his three-year-old sister, whose name was Elda.

When social workers found out what was happening, they removed Johnny and Elda from the home. This was just the beginning of being raised by the government- a plan that has new risks. Over the course of several years, the children were placed in about 7 different foster homes and returned to their biological mother 4 times. By the time Johnny was ten, he was an angry little boy. This was a healthy reaction to a bad situation. He was later labeled as having “ODD” (a psychiatric name for a child who is acting up). It was because of this that he was eventually separated from his sister.

Several years later, both Johnny and Elda were placed into different adoptive homes. Johnny’s adoption disrupted. Somehow the family that adopted Elda tracked him down and advocated successfully for their reunion. They were both adopted by this family!

This case has a successful ending because there are mature, committed adults who care for the children. There are many families who can and are doing this. There are, of course, many children who are waiting for their happy ending. To learn more about adoption, or how you can become an adoptive parent, please visit http://www.downeyside.org

Transracial adoption is the joining of racially different parents and children within adoptive families. This topic is one of the most controversial issues in adoption. Many people are opposed to transracial adoption, because they feel that it affects identity development.

With more than 50% of minority children in foster care, one would think that it would not matter if the adoptive parent was of a different race. It would provide a home for a child who may otherwise linger within the foster care system until he/ she “ages out” of the system. It’s a balancing act for sure.

In 1994, transracial adoption was the subject of a bill before Congress submitted by Senator Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio. After intense debate, the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) passed both houses of Congress. The important point that was reached and agreed upon is that adults of all ethnic cultures need to work together to help children of all racial backgrounds find permanent families.

Here at Downey Side, we educate all of our families who are seeking children of another race or culture. Families go through detailed training on how to handle selective issues that may arise. Although racial identification is a major part of a child’s life, families can help educate the child with positive images and role models. Parents may also celebrate all cultures, visit museums and other ethnic functions, and have an open discussion about race and culture.

Current statistics show that the number of transracial adoptions has increased throughout the years. Adopting a child is a heart warming and rewarding experience. A child would much rather have a permanent home and a loving family, no matter what race that loving family is. However, we truly believe there are enough African-American families for children in need.

Many people may remember Nixzmary Brown (Jul. 18, 1998- Jan. 11 2006), a 7-year old youngster who was brutally murdered and tortured by her step- father and her mother. As the fourth year of her death passes, we must remember the half million waiting American children waiting in government care. Nixzmary is a symbol of children who are abused and neglected by family and the system alike.

Her life had a strong impact on the child welfare system and even forced State legislation to create a new law shortly after her death. The law is designed to deter or prevent child abuse related crimes by charging parents connected to the crime of the death of their children with first degree murder, the maximum is 25 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Since the passing of this law, reports have increased drastically to the New York State’s child abuse hotline. We are all becoming more vigilant.

Why is the system continuously failing our children? One of the main reasons is that many facilities keep children within the foster care system, instead of allowing them to be adopted. They are cashing in and receiving big amounts of money for each child in their care.

Studies show that children grow better in loving homes. A loving family is the solution to the many problems that several children face. Having a family is not a want, nor is it a desire, it is a necessity. Downey Side’s sole purpose is to find homes for children waiting in foster care. Are you interested in becoming an adoptive parent? Please visit our website and read more about adoption at http://www.downeyside.org or call 1-800-US-CHILD.

This ongoing recession has taken a toll on many businesses, jobs, and citizens. What many people fail to realize is the drastic toll that the recession has taken on the children who wait in foster care. With over 800,000 children waiting in our public foster care system, you would think that state currency would be increased within state budgets to offer adequate services. Unfortunately, it is quite the opposite. Several states have had their budgets diminished, and can’t afford to help the children in foster care find homes.

Downey Side’s mission is to find families for the children who wait. We want to recruit families to adopt older children. The lack of funding in foster care and adoption makes recruiting families even more difficult. If a state chooses not to pay for the adoption costs, the expenses may have to be paid from the family’s pocket. With several families already on tight budgets, having to ask the family to pay for more costs is very unfortunate.

State budget cuts are nothing new. However, states should look within other places to cut costs. The children are indeed our future. Once children in foster care “age out” of the foster care system at the age of 18, they are then tossed out into society to fend for themselves. Studies show that children in foster care are more likely to become incarcerated as an adult. So we must ask this question: Do we spend funds in foster care on children who need services, or do we spend the funds on them as an incarcerated adult?

Anna McNamara and family speaking at the Race For Kids fundraiser.

The Financial Communications Society just sponsored it’s annual Race for Kids fundraiser. One of their strong values is philanthropy and we are fortunate to be one of their beneficiaries. The ski event was a lot of fun and we appreciate all the hard work that went into it by people like Tim Hart, Kevin Windorf, Jennifer Masiello and many others.

A family we worked with, the McNamara’s, spoke at the awards ceremony. They painted a beautiful picture that adopting a older children is possible and rewarding. Todd Broccolo, a Downey Side board member, tore up the slopes, beat his time from last year, and won the Sartorial Splendor award.

Three days after the race, FCS was chosen to ‘ring the bell ‘ at NASDAQ at the close of trading on the 10th Anniversary of the exchange.

We all need the comfort and spirituality that this New Year can bring to our world at this time.  Due to loss of jobs and income, it has been a struggle for all of us to put food on the table and provide for our families.

We need to remember our past traditions and beliefs.  There have been many times in history that God has visited his people with many blessings, especially raising hopes, as we realize how much we all mean to our family and friends.

You are the leaders within our Downey Side movement.  You have helped free-up the children from their imprisonment of being homeless, and given them a new birth in their adoptive family.

In the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowen Williams, D.D;  My prayer for all of you is that the Grace of God transform each of you so that you know yourself to be significant and wanted.

This is exciting- we’re entering the 21st century! We have a solution to a serious problem and this blog allows us to broadcast it- and at the right price!

The problem is that there are some 500,000 children in Foster Care at any one time in this country and many, many are waiting for permanent families. Their name on a caseload automatically asks  “Whose child am I?” Well, we here at Downey Side know how to find families who will step up and say “I am. I’ll claim you as my own.” Adoptive families come in all shapes and sizes and they are happy to adopt children of all shapes and sizes. We have eight offices throughout the country and all of them have families waiting for children!

So, a little known fact about waiting children in this country is that they could all have permanent families. Yes, we say all. That’s our belief. We base that belief on 43 years of experience in finding families for children. Most children in Foster Care should be returned to their birth families and the rest can be adopted! You may want to disagree but as far as we’re concerned it’s a fact.

Another little known fact is that there is no money to find permanent families for  children who need them. Yes, some politicians will scream that they provide lots of money, but we can show that the average government contract offers us maybe $25.00 an hour to do it and some pay less…

So, we’re launching this blog for a couple of reasons. We’ll talk about the reasons in upcoming weeks but in the meantime, please consider our belief that there are families for the children who wait!