On any given day, tens of thousands of children in this country are in the foster care system, and more than 150,000 of them are available for adoption, just waiting for the right family to give them a permanent and loving home. Right now, the State of Arkansas has custody of more than 3,800 children, and yet, there are fewer than 1,300 qualified foster homes to care for them.
Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, nurturing home with devoted parents. In fact, studies show that children who live in such environments benefit not only from such basics as food, clothing, and shelter, but also have a better chance of thriving in the classroom and developing healthy social and emotional behaviors. When children are raised in loving, supportive families, there is a tangible impact on their lives - and therefore on the economic and educational future of the State as a whole.
Adoptive families truly have an opportunity to rewrite the scripts of the lives of Arkansas children.
I am proud to note that the annual number of adoptions in Arkansas has doubled since 2003. The Arkansas Department of Human Services has finalized 622 adoptions in 2009, up from 349 six years ago. This past week, the federal Department of Health and Human Services awarded the State more than $822,000 to invest in recruitment, retention, and outreach to existing and potential foster and adoptive families. I commend our Division of Children and Family Services for its tireless work to ensure that we place as many children as possible in secure and stable homes.
Our work, however, is far from over. There are still more than 500 children who are in desperate need of permanent homes. We continue to pay particular attention to those children who are often harder to place, because they have special needs or are older, and may have been in the system for many months or even years.
The State is combining the federal adoption incentive grant with an additional $4.5 million in federal stimulus money to recruit more foster and adoptive families. Simply put, these funds will allow the Division of Children and Family Services to do its critical work more effectively and quickly.
My family knows well the benefits children experience through adoption. My wife, Ginger, was adopted at age four. She doesn't remember anything from her prior life in foster homes, but attributes her strong upbringing to the people who became her parents.
Children find themselves in foster care for countless reasons, including an illness or death in the family; neglect; or physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. And like every other child, children in crisis need stable, secure, and supportive families. I encourage you to learn more about becoming an adoptive parent or foster parent by visiting www.adoptarkansas.org or www.fosterarkansas.org. Our foster care system is only as good as those who choose to be part of it, and choose to give these children the chance for a better future.