Let’s Clear Up Myths About Adoption!

Learn More About Adoption During National Foster Care Month

Did you know nearly 1,000 Virginia children in foster care are waiting to be adopted? By clearing up adoption myths, we can help more people feel comfortable about considering adoption. Spread the word!

 

Myth #1:
You have to be married to adopt.

Whether you’re single, married, or divorced, you CAN adopt a child! More important than your marital status is your ability to provide a safe, supportive, and loving home for a child.


Myth #2:
Adoption from foster care is expensive.

Many people believe it costs a lot of money to adopt a child. In reality, most adoptions from U.S. foster care are at no cost. Plus, there’s often financial assistance for a family who is adopting.


Myth #3:
Biological parents can take their kids back.

This common myth creates fear about adoption — fear that biological parents will come back and demand their children. It’s simply not true! Once the court terminates the biological parents’ rights to a child in foster care, or once a parent voluntarily relinquishes their rights to an infant, a birth parent has no legal right to the child. Adoption is forever!


Myth #4:
Foster kids are out of control and dangerous.

While it’s true many children who have experienced abuse or neglect have developmental or behavioral issues, foster kids are not juvenile delinquents or “bad kids.” They are great kids who have suffered unacceptable circumstances during a time when they should have been safe. In a nurturing, structured environment, foster kids can blossom into exceptional individuals — and the permanency of a forever family makes the difference for their future.


Myth #5:
You have to own a home to adopt.

If you don’t own a home, don’t worry — you can still consider adoption! Regardless of whether you rent or own, or whether you live in an apartment or a single-family home, if you can provide a safe environment in which a child can live and play, that’s what matters most.


At Children’s Home Society of Virginia,
we believe every child deserves a home!


How Can You Help?

Adoption is the answer! But it’s not the only answer. We understand adoption isn’t the right choice for everyone. There are lots of other ways you can make a difference:

  1. Donate – CHS relies on contributions from individuals, corporations, grants, and foundations. Make a personal gift. Host a fundraiser. Let us know if your company has funds we can apply for. Every dollar makes a difference.
  2. Advocate – Spread the word about adoption and the plight of children in foster care. Give a voice to Virginia’s forgotten children.
  3. Share – On social media, share photos, videos, and stories about children who are waiting to be adopted – from CHS and others like us.
  4. Connect – Sign up for our enews below and like our Facebook page to keep up with CHS.
  5. Learn – Make a commitment to learn more about foster care and adoption. One way is to invite CHS’s CEO to speak to your company, church, or civic group.

Together, we can give Virginia’s waiting children hope – hope for a future and a family to give them the love they need, want, and deserve.