Madison Haldeman Adoption and Foster Care Everyone needs a family. Some children are given second chances with families. Children in foster care, or children that have been adopted, are given second chances. They are given a new family that has chosen them. Those important life-changing things are a family that chooses them to get that second chance, a chance to make new memories, and a chance to have a safe place to call home. First, every child that is adopted or in foster care is given a second chance by a family. Each family gets a chance to choose whether or not the child is the best fit for them out of all the children. The adopted or foster parents’ goal is to work together as a family and help the child find their way. This is to help the child get more comfortable with their new parents and also to help them gain trust in the family. Foster and adoptive parents have to go through a whole background check and lots of paperwork to make sure there is a proper fit for the child. Every child is different and will need dif - ferent types of help, and the foster and adoptive parents’ jobs are to make sure each child’s needs are met. For example, if a child is struggling with anxiety or depression due to whatever they’re going through, the foster or adoptive parents are going to get the child treatment for these things. Another example is if the child is a baby, the new parents must make sure they have all the essentials needed for a baby. If the child is a toddler, they must make sure they have all the proper items needed to care for a toddler. If the child is a teenager, they must make sure they have the es- sentials a teenager needs. Babies need bottles and diapers and wipes, toddlers might still be learning to potty train, and teenagers might need school supplies like backpacks and books. It is the foster, or adoptive par- ents’ job to get the children these items. Second, adoption and foster care give each adopted or fostered child the chance to make new memories. They could make new friends in their new homes. They could get new clothes, school supplies, or even new ways to communicate their feelings. They could make new memories, such as, spending quality time with family by playing at game nights or going to the
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