ST. GEORGE – Foster families that have chosen to adopt a child will be honored Saturday during the fifth annual “Celebrating Families Through Adoption” event in Town Square Park in St. George. The public is invited to join the free celebration and learn more about becoming an adoptive parent.
The two-hour event will feature free games, treats and activities. Bounce houses, a climbing wall and a raffle will add to the fun. Live music provided by the Reid Family Band will serve as a backdrop for the event.
“Our primary goal is to thank and celebrate the families who are part of the program,” said Ben Ashcraft, LMFT, of the Utah Foster Care Foundation.
More than 20 booths offering information about adoption through the foster care system and vital resources for those families will be part of the event.
Increasing community awareness about adoption through the system is an ongoing project for the Utah Foster Care Foundation. The celebration is part of that effort. Ashcraft said many families considering adoption are unaware that adoption through foster care is a viable alternative to expensive, private adoption.
“It’s actually a very inexpensive option,” Ashcraft said. “It’s nearly free to adopt through foster care.”
About 40 percent of foster children are adopted by foster families or relatives. Although an adoption through foster care is less expensive, the standards for parents are high.
“Anywhere that the child is placed, we’ve got to make sure and ensure that that is going to be a safe environment for those children,” Ashcraft said. “We have to make sure that they’re going to provide for them, that they have the skills to take care of them, because they often have been through a lot of trauma and abuse. We just want to make sure these families are prepared.”
Spending time as a foster parent is required to adopt a child through the system. In Utah, the average time a child spends in foster care before adoption is about 18 months, and the average age of a child adopted is about 5 years old.
November is National Adoption Month.
Event details
- What: Celebrating Families Through Adoption
- When: Saturday, Nov. 14, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Where: Town Square Park, 50 S. Main St., St. George
- Admission: Free
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