The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services recently announced it will receive $5,885,500 in Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments from the United States Department of Health and Human Services for its improved performance in helping children and youth in foster care find permanent homes through adoption and legal guardianship. These funds will be used to further increase awareness of and provide services to families interested in adopting a child from foster care.
“All children deserve the opportunity to live and grow at home with a supportive family, and in many cases, adoption is the best chance for children and youth to achieve a healthy and happy life. That’s why I’m especially proud to recognize Adoption Awareness Month,” said DHS Secretary Teresa Miller. “DHS works every day to help Pennsylvania’s children and youth find their forever homes. There is still a need for permanent, loving homes for children in this commonwealth, so I encourage anyone who can offer a loving and nurturing home to children and youth as permanent or foster parents to reach out. You can offer a child a brighter future.”
The Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN), administered by DHS’ Office of Children, Youth and Families, helps match children in need of adoption with potential families. SWAN brings together state, county and private agencies to coordinate permanency-related services for children and post-permanency services to families. Since SWAN began in 1992, there have been more than 51,000 adoptions in Pennsylvania. Currently, Pennsylvania has 14,400 children in foster care and 3,094 with a goal of adoption. In 2019, 2,722 children and youth were successfully adopted – the most adoptions to occur in Pennsylvania in a given year.
To learn how to begin the adoption process and what to expect as you become a foster parent or adoptive parent, go to adoptpakids.org, call 1-800-585-SWAN or follow SWAN on Facebook.
