A Success Story

Project Connecticut’s Child:
How Devin Found a Forever Family

Niko began her morning as she did each day: with a prayer, “God, help me to be a Christian today.” Then Niko did something she never does: picked up the newspaper and glanced through the day’s stories. In the black and white print, Niko found her answer: A Family for Every Child was the headline and the story told of how Child Adoption Resource Association (CARA) (now renamed as Connecticut Adoption & Family Services) was looking for families to adopt children out of Connecticut state foster care. Minutes later, Niko was on the phone to the adoption agency. “I’m not sure why I’m calling, but I saw that you help children in need of homes. Tell me who is in the most need, and my husband and I are there for him or her.”

Roy got the call at work. “I just hung up with a local adoption agency and asked about adopting a child.” Roy, who has been married to Niko for more than ten years, knew his wife was serious, and he told her they would talk when he got home from work. “If this is what you think we need to do, then let’s do it!” was Roy’s first and final answer.

Devin had been in the same foster home for two years. He loved his foster mother, and she loved him, but she was in her seventies and would not be doing foster care for much longer. Devin’s biological parents and extended family were unable to care for him properly, thus he entered the foster care system at age five, already having been through many experiences before being removed from his birth family. Devin was, sadly, in the population of foster children that are the most difficult to place with adoptive families.

Project Connecticut’s Child, CARA’s grant-funded program, provides free home studies for individuals, couples, and families interested in adopting a child from foster care. Our state child welfare agency, Department of Children and Families, is full of children who need forever homes and too few workers to meet the many needs of children in foster care adequately. Project Connecticut’s Child enables CARA to use its resources to recruit forever families for our state’s most needy population; children who, if a family isn’t found, will age out of the foster care system at age 18 and face innumerable difficulties in life. Often the key to opening a person’s eyes to the great need for families to adopt children is, as Niko found, education and awareness.

Niko’s call to CARA brought Devin, Roy and her together. CARA was able to provide, at no cost, a home study to the couple. Working together with the Department of Children and Families, CARA facilitated the adoption of Devin by Niko and Roy, exactly one year after Niko’s fateful phone call to CARA in April of 2007. On April 28, 2008, Devin was issued a birth certificate with Niko and Roy’s names listed as his mother and father. What a gift ~~ a future with two loving parents!

Project Connecticut’s Child works for other families as well. Educating individuals is sometimes as simple as talking about adoption at a birthday or pool party; but often takes publicity and more publicity in local media sources. Funds appropriated to Project Connecticut’s Child go directly toward recruiting families as well as paying for the home studies of individuals, couples, and families who have chosen to help CARA find A Family for Every Child by adopting a child from foster care.

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Agency News

Sep 16, 2009 - Families Needed:
We are now looking for Connecticut parents to adopt infants of all races, including African-American, through private domestic adoption. The waiting period has become much shorter over this past year, so domestic adoption has become a more viable option for many. As always, we are also seeking families to adopt CT state foster children through our grant-funded program "Project CT's Child".
May 1, 2009 - Check out the Heart Gallery
If you are considering adopting a child from the state foster care system, please visit the "Heart Gallery", a moving exhibit featuring portraits of waiting children. We can help you adopt these and other foster children. You can view these photos at: www.heartgalleryct.org
Apr 17, 2009 - Visit Us on Cable TV
If you live in Southeastern CT, please check out our public access TV show "Families in the Making". The schedule is listed on the section of this website titled: Visit Us on Cable.

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Child Adoption Resource Association :: Eastern CT: 2 Union Plaza; Suite 300; New London, CT 06320; 860-444-0553; director@adoptacarakid.org