DCS kicks off National Adoption Awareness Month

               DCS kicks off National Adoption Awareness Month

PHOENIX (Nov. 1, 2017) –  For many, November is a month of Thanksgiving celebrations and family gatherings. But for thousands of children across Arizona, the month is just another passage of time as they wait for a family to call their own.

This November marks National Adoption Awareness Month. The Department of Child Safety (DCS) is observing the month by increasing awareness about the children currently available for adoption in Arizona and sharing how the community can join together to help children find permanency.

“Every child deserves to thrive in a safe, permanent home,” said Arizona Department of Child Safety Agency Director Gregory McKay. “Our mission, together with our wonderful partners, is to help Arizona’s children thrive. Adoption is a vital component of achieving that mission, and we appreciate the ability to bring awareness to the ongoing need to recruit adoptive parents and support both adoptive and foster families who work tirelessly to make a positive and transformative difference in children’s lives.”

Whether considering adoption, foster care or just supporting the cause, there are many ways Arizonans can help shine a light on the issue of child welfare:

1.       Spread the word. Take a few moments to share inspiring stories, heart-rending articles, moving videos and any information on #NationalAdoptionMonth to help raise awareness of the need for adoptive families and about the thousands of children waiting to be adopted. You can learn more here.

2.       Mentor a child who is aging out of the foster care system. Children who don’t get adopted age out of the system when they turn 18. Mentoring a child who lacks permanency can have a positive, lifelong impact and helps set them up for future success. For more information on mentoring, email the DCS Community Liaison at [email protected].

3.       Attend an adoption finalization of a friend or family member. Show support for a friend or family member’s decision to add to their family by attending an adoption finalization at the courthouse.

4.       Host a celebration for adoptive families. Celebrate the love and togetherness that comes with expanding a family through adoption by throwing a party to commemorate the occasion. For local business owners, consider sponsoring an activity for newly adoptive families. Interested in hosting an event? Email the DCS Community Liaison at [email protected] for more information.

5.       Consider becoming a respite care provider. If you’re not able to adopt or foster but still want to help, you can become a licensed respite care provider. Respite providers offer short-term childcare solutions for foster parents. For more information on respite care, visit dcs.az.gov.

6.       Volunteer to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). CASAs are appointed by a judge to advocate for abused and neglected children in court. More information about becoming a CASA is available here.

7.       If you’re ready, adopt! Adoption provides a forever home through the legal process of becoming the parent to a child. It includes the rights and responsibilities of being a parent, along with the duty to protect the child and the responsibility to provide them with the essentials of food, shelter, education and health care.

For more information on this important topic and meet some of the children in need of loving adoptive families, you can visit here.

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ABOUT DIRECTOR GREGORY MCKAY

Gregory A. McKay is a twenty year veteran of Law Enforcement with an emphasis on criminal investigations of violent crime. He was awarded Arizona's Investigator of the Year for solving many high-profile child murder cases. As a former Arizona foster parent, he understands the lasting emotional and physical effects of abuse to a child. In 2013, he was awarded Childhelp USA’s Heart of an Angel Award, recognizing his distinguished career in child advocacy, investigative expertise, and removal of child predators. McKay was appointed Director of DCS by Governor Douglas A. Ducey on February 10, 2015.

Director McKay has led several breakthrough initiatives for the department. Under his leadership, the DCS has successfully completed the backlog of uninvestigated cases that had plagued the department for years. The department also safely reduced the number of children in state foster care by 10% in 2016, thus reversing a ten year growth trend of 92%. By eliminating hotline hold times, reducing staff caseloads, decreasing congregate care and increasing family and community engagement in the service of the state’s most vulnerable children, the state is poised to meet Director McKay’s goal of making Arizona the safest place in the country for children to grow and thrive.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY (DCS)

The Department of Child Safety is dedicated to the vision that “Children thrive in family environments free from abuse and neglect.” As highly motivated and caring public servants, the DCS team is committed to fulfilling this mission with excellence, providing safety and well-being for the most vulnerable population in Arizona - our children. If you suspect child abuse, call 888-SOS-CHILD.