29 heartwarming photos of foster kids getting adopted
For foster children, the day of adoption is often the best day of their lives. So, a California-based organization, called Together We Rise, is combating the stigma around the foster care system by showcasing these heartwarming photos of that long-awaited day.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
“With so many negative stereotypes and news stories surrounding foster care, we are focused only on the positive,” says executive director Gianna Dahlia. “One of the most powerful and positive things that can happen for children in foster care is getting adopted into a forever family. That’s why we started sharing the pictures our supporters were sending us.”
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Together We Rise has received an overwhelmingly positive response to their adoption photos initiative.
“We have thousands of people reaching out to us now, either wanting to help or wanting more information on how to become a foster parent,” says Dahlia.
Some people are even inspired to adopt.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
When asked about her favorite story captured in the photos, Dahlia said it had to do with the little boy pictured here.
“My favorite most recent story comes from two families who live in the same community adopting siblings so they could grow up to together,” she says. “The Houston family just adopted, Elijah who was in foster care for 389 days and his three older siblings were adopted by the Houston family’s friends, the Washingtons, who live in the same community.”
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
“The Houstons have adopted four children and have two biological children. Jay Houston, the mom, was adopted herself. So, adoption has always been something she wanted to do,” Dahlia continued.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
According to Together We Rise, this photo initiative hasn’t only served to recruit potential parents and volunteers. It has also done a lot to help existing foster families through the process.
“Our photos have created a platform for others to encourage and celebrate with other foster parents, which I believe is a huge tool in getting through what can be a difficult process,” explains TWR Executive Director Gianna Dahlia.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Danny Mendoza founded Together We Rise in 2008, after discovering that his nine-year-old cousin was living in a car. His cousin was placed in kinship care and it was too late for him to do anything about it.
Mendoza was still in college at the time, so government agencies denied him due to his age. Back then, there were no organizations like Together We Rise that welcomed young people to join.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Together We Rise’s primary focus is improving the lives of foster children in the most compassionate and influential ways possible.
“We collaborate with community partners to bring resources to foster youth and use service-learning activities to educate volunteers on issues surrounding the foster care system,” explains Dahlia.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
In addition to the Houstons’ story detailed in a prior slide, Dahlia also described being particularly moved by the adoption story pictured in these photos.
“I love this story because it involves an adoption of an older youth, which unfortunately is very rare.” she told CBS News. “Once children turn nine, their chances of getting adopted dramatically decrease... Crystal Anlage and her husband reached out to us when they first started the transition into adopting two siblings ages 14 and 15. The next year, they reached out to us again with their official adoption notice of their son, Jacquez, on February 17, 2016. His mom told us, ‘Best day of our lives. It’s been a tough road, but worth every tear.’”
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Together We Rise works with hundreds of foster agencies, social workers, CASA advocates, and other partners to bring their programs to foster youth across the nation.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
To date, those efforts have enabled them to provide thousands of foster youth across the country with new bicycles, college supplies, scholarships and suitcases, so that the children do not have to travel from home to home with their belongings in a trash bag.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
The idea to post these sorts of adoption photos came about organically. Together We Rise posted a few and the response was simply so positive that they idea snowballed into a larger campaign.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
“The response was unbelievably positive, so we kept highlighting new adoptions and more and more people started sharing their stories,” says Dahlia.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
“We learned that amazing families are being created every day and sharing those special moments inspires others considering adoption or currently in the process that it can be done and it is worth it.”
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
You’ll likely notice that each of these adoption photos highlights the number of days that specific child spent in the system.
“Highlighting how many days they spent in foster care is just a reminder of the fight the child and the parents went through to become a forever family,” explains Dahlia.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
According to Dahlia, people don’t just love looking at these photos. The families love taking them.
“After we started posting these pictures, other stories and pictures started flowing in. Then we started getting a wave of professional photographers who wanted to donate their services to take these photos for the families adopting from foster care,” she says.”
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
“We set up an application for the photographers and received over 5,000 submissions in one day!”
Bet you didn’t know there were so many superhero photographers around!
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Due to the plethora of applications received, Together We Rise now has a database of thousands of professional photographers across the country that they can set up with families, so that they can get their adoption day photo and first family portrait taken.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Many of the adoption photos feature sweet plays on words about chosen families. This one, for example, reads, “We didn’t give you the gift of life. Life gave us the gift of you.”
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Others feature messages that tease the silver lining out of a very lengthy adoption process. This photo, for example, reads, “For 730 days, we’ve shared their love and home. As of today, we share their last name!”
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Together We Rise hopes these photos also bring families a sense of accomplishment.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
“The road to adoption from foster care can be difficult,” explains Dahlia. “So, when the day finally comes and the child you’ve had to fight for finally shares your last name, you just want to capture the pure happiness.”
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Foster children have, on average, three different foster care placements. And at the moment, almost all children in foster care only receive two trash bags to move their personal possessions from placement to placement, when they are picked up by social services.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
One way Together We Rise aims to better the lives of foster kids, like the ones in these photos, is through their Sweet Cases project, which provides the children with duffel bags and suitcases filled with basic necessities.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Not only does this luggage serve as a sustainable item to transport their belongings in between placements, Together We Rise hopes that it will somewhat change the perception the kids acquire when placing their belongings in a trash bag. It’s difficult to overstate the power of having something to call his/her own.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Teens in foster care often don’t receive a car, and are often not even taken to get their driver’s license. So, TWR created a Build-A-Bike program to provide new bicycles to youth, so they have a form of reliable transportation to get to school, extracurricular activities, a part-time job, or just your average teenager rights of passage events.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Together We Rise reports that, while an estimated 80 percent of youth in foster care have a desire to attend college, only 15 percent will attempt to apply and only 3 percent will graduate. What’s more, former foster youth are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and see high rates of unemployment, homelessness, pregnancy, trafficking, and incarceration.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
For those reasons, TWR has set up a unique scholarship program designed to provide foster youth with the resources to successfully make the transition out of the foster care system.
The Family Fellowship provides $90,000 scholarships to foster youth attending college. It also includes wrap around services like mentors, tutors, housing and care packages.
Foster kids at the moment of adoption
Together We Rise works every day to show these children that they matter.
“Foster care isn’t going to go away, “Dahlia explains, “but we can change the way these kids experience that time and encourage others that adoption can save lives.”