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Foster Children ‘Adopt’ Stuffed Animals to Learn about the Adoption Process
A recent series of classes in Jackson County, Oregon, aimed to help abused and neglected kids better understand the adoption process —according to Mail Tribune. Child welfare workers in Medford volunteered extra hours, donated money and got community support for the classes. The classes teach children how to deal with relationships with biological and foster parents effectively.
After meeting once a week for six weeks, the children participated in a mock adoption ceremony in a Jackson County Circuit Court courtroom. Led by local judge, Kelly Ravassipour, they were able to ‘adopt’ their very own Build-A-Bear stuffed animals.
One foster mom explained how the the training classes and ceremony helped the two siblings she and her husband have been fostering for two years in hopes of adopting.
(Photo: Mail Tribune)
“Having that physical item really resonated for them — like this is going to happen to them, too,” the foster mom said.
While the process of adoption may leave children with uncertainties, this foster mother was grateful these classes could provide the girls with some sense of stability. “It gave them peace about this big unknown,” she said.
As an agency that values permanency, ASCI commends the Oregon Department of Human Services office in Medford for providing children with a safe environment to learn and feel secure!