Adoption in the Nick of COVID Time

Foster care is a real and true reality to thousands of children and youth throughout our communities, State, Country and across the world. According to the Children’s Defense Fund’s The State of America’s Children 2020 report 52,337 children were in foster care on the last day of fiscal year 2018. Compared to the total number from this same report of children living in California that is nearly 6% of the child population of the state living in a foster care setting.

Caring for this nearly 6% of the child population of our State are families such as Jami and Josh White, resource parents (previously referred to as foster parents) with Redwood Community Services, Inc. since 2014.

“We decided to foster when we found we had difficulty getting pregnant. It’s funny but with the stress of pregnancy off our plate we found that we were expecting our first biological child the week prior to being certified to foster! We love kids and decided to move forward and took our first foster child when our son was just six months old,” shares Jami White.

Fostering was always the plan for the White family with the intention of providing a safe, loving and stable environment for children in their community. The White’s welcomed several children while their infant, Brayden, grew and when he was two years old the White’s received the call for a three-week old baby boy. “Braydon has always had other kids in the house as we’ve fostered since he was just an infant and it’s our normal now,” Jami explains.

When it was determined this baby boy was not going to reunite with his birth parents Jami, Josh and Braydon knew he was meant to be adopted into their family. After several postponements and a feeling as if this adoption would never be done, the White’s received their court date.  Little did they know but, the White family were in court finalizing their adoption just days before the COVID-19 Shelter in Place hit. March 13, 2020 Jameson White’s adoption was finalized. “It was the right time and the right fit for our adoption of Jameson. He just belonged,” proud mom, Jami, shares.

“When the state of California moved to enforce the mandatory Shelter in Place order, there were some unexpected consequences that impacted our youth in foster care and those waiting to be adopted. Court hearings that aren’t determined to be essential have been removed from court calendars and left hanging in the balance as “to be determined”. This included adoption hearings so many families across the state who had been waiting for months and even years to finalize the adoption of their children, have been left waiting yet again, with no end in sight.” Redwood Community Services Program Director, Kate Napp explains. “We were very happy that the White family was able to celebrate their finalization before all these changes happened. Court hearings look a little different now with guidelines requiring social distancing, very small group gatherings, facial coverings, etc. But they are happening and we anticipate another RCS adoption this month!”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) FY 2019 report there were 66,035 children and youth adopted through foster care and an additional 122,216 waiting to be adopted.

When asked what they would share with those contemplating fostering or adopting from foster care Jami shares, “Have patience and flexibility. Knowing you’ve made a difference whether it’s for six months or for adoption just feels good.”  As November’s Adoption Awareness Month is celebrated the White family enjoys their family of four and plan to continue fostering.

Redwood Community Services, Inc. has been providing foster care services since its incorporation in 1995 and now serves Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake and Northern Sonoma Counties. Our Foster Care programs are designed to create a supported living environment for youth in the foster care system. Youth are placed with approved resource families, who are educated through a multi-faceted training program in order to prepare them for meeting the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of the youth in their care. To address the differing needs of the children and youth within the foster care system and the complexity of family dynamics, Redwood Community Services offers an array of foster care options.

For more information on foster care and foster to adopt services with Redwood Community Services please call 1-833-206-CARE (2273) or visit www.redwoodcommunityservices.org, Facebook and Instagram.

Jami and Josh White, Adoptive Parents as of March 13, 2020