Record high for U.S. foster care kids with ‘forever families’

FRANKFORT, Ky. — In 2009, 57,000 U.S. kids in foster care found forever families, up from 37,000 in 1998, according to a Child Trends study reported in The Washington Times. The number represents a record high.

Kelly Rosati, vice president of community outreach at Focus on the Family, said the Christian church is to thank for some of the progress. “We’ve been excited to see an increase in the willingness of Christians to simply ask themselves, ‘Does God want to use the blessing of our family on behalf of a child without one?’” she said.

“And as Christians across the country continue to pray that prayer, I think we’re going to see these numbers increase.” Researchers also found that the number of children waiting for adoption fell to a record low of 115,000 in 2009, down from 135,000 three years earlier. The average wait to be adopted fell to a record low 35 months, down from 48 months in 1998.