Thousands of children in foster care across the nation are yearning to have a forever home. And the fact is, hundreds of those children are right here in Humboldt County. 

In an effort to spread awareness during National Adoption Month, this LoCO video report hears from a local adoptive family and an adoption agency.

Dale and Jill Maples share their story of going from a family of 7 to a family of 10; adopting two young boys and the unexpected adoption of their newborn sister. 

“To take someone else’s kids in, it’s a huge thing. I never thought I could do it, but you just love them like your own,” said Mrs. Maples. 

Adoption Horizons in Eureka performs home studies on foster families who plan to adopt their placements. The agency expresses the dire need for more foster and adoptive parents. Noting there was a crisis just two years ago.

“The number of foster parents was under 100 and yet the number of children had surged from 300 to 400. So that was a huge increase,” said Adoption Horizons Director, Cynthia Savage. 

Although the gap has narrowed, the agency says the harrowing effects of our community’s drug epidemic is time and time again forcing authorities to remove children from their homes. 

“We’re talking about families where there is abuse, neglect, and parents that can’t function,” Savage says. 

The same reasons that hinder the reunification process with birth parents, thus leaving local youth in limbo. However, the agency does say the adoption process will change for the better in January 2017.

For more info visit: https://humboldtgov.org/2146/Adoption-Program or call 707-499-3410.