INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Child Services says the need is always great for families to adopt children, but one demographic where the need is the largest is older children, whose road to a forever home can have some of the most obstacles.
“It’s been interesting and really fun having older children and being able to have fun. We have fun with them all the time. We’re always going out, doing things and hiking and it’s wonderful," Kayla Crouch said.
Crouch and her husband Mitchell have two daughters — one adopted and one pre-adoptive.
Around two years ago, the Greenfield residents welcomed a then-13-year-old Willow into their home.
“Everybody said it’s like she’s always been here. She bonded and moved in and adjusted very quickly," Crouch said.
Crouch has a background in social work. Seeing the large need that exists in the foster care system inspired her to adopt.
“The system is full of children," Crouch said. "Unfortunately, there are far too many children."
Foster children are often on one of two tracks:
Reunification, when the child goes back into the care of their biological parents or foster to adopt, when it’s determined that it’s no longer safe or healthy for the child to go back with their biological parents, so they’re set for adoption.
“The older children are often not adopted by foster parents that have raised them. They have a more extensive trauma history which leads to some trauma behaviors that have to be dealt with," Indiana Adoption Program Manager Michelle Savieo said.
The average age of a child in their recruitment services is 13 years old.
“Those children need a home just as much as the five year olds do. They need that love and that parental safety net, so they’re not aging out of the system," Savieo said.
Back at the Crouch household, Kayla and Mitchell say there are many misconceptions about adopting older children.
They say it’s important to help these children work through their past trauma and sculpt a world of their own.
“It’s healing for them and healing for us to help them and let them take control of their life, finally.”
