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52 adoptions here since 2014

 

Governor Kay Ivey recently announced that, yet again, Alabama reported a record number of foster care adoptions. In FY 2019, there were 731 foster care adoptions, which is an all-time record for the state. That is up from the previous year’s record of 727 adoptions. The governor celebrated this news with Alabama families and their adopted children.

“As Alabama sets another positive record, it is a privilege and truly special for me to spend time with adoptive parents and children who now have their forever home,” Governor Ivey said. “To our foster families, adoption professionals, the Department of Human Resources, and most importantly, to the families who have chosen to bless many children with a forever and loving home – thank you! By providing a forever home, you are forever changing the life of a child, as well as your own.”

In FY 2019, 69 percent of children who left foster care, went home to family members or their parent(s). While most children in the state’s foster care system do return to their parents, there are still children seeking an adoptive family.

“We are excited to have set an adoption record for the second consecutive year,” Alabama Department of Human Resources Commissioner Nancy Buckner added. “I am extremely appreciative of our partners in the adoption process without whose help this would not have been possible, especially the adopting parents who have given our foster children forever families.”

Currently, there are 299 children in Alabama’s foster care system looking for their forever homes.

Locally, DHR Director Lesa Rathel said she is pleased and thankful with local foster care parents.

“As Covington County DHR director, I am especially thankful for our local foster parents who have not only opened their homes temporarily to children in need, but who have committed themselves to being the forever family for children whose circumstances do not allow for them to return home or be placed with a relative,” Rathel said. “I also want to commend the DHR foster care and adoption staff, our local attorneys and Probate Judge Stacey Brooks, who have made finalizing our foster parent adoptions in a timely manner a priority.”

Rathel said that since 2014, Covington County has finalized 52 local foster parent adoptions.