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Updated: 4:36 PM Apr 27, 2009
Forever Families
There are 7,800 children in foster care in Kentucky. That's enough to fill 101 school buses.
Here's the journey a few of the thousands took to find their forever families.
Posted: 4:15 PM Apr 27, 2009Reporter: Lauren Hanson Email Address: lauren.hanson@wbko.com |
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There are 7,800 children in foster care in Kentucky, of those children 900 are in our area, and 319 of those children are in Warren County.
These are the harsh numbers, but there's also the emotional stories of children who are in need of a loving home.
The Family Enrichment Center in Bowling Green is working to help foster children find their forever family.
The center provides resources to foster and adoptive parents.
"You give these children something that they're lacking. Sometimes that's just love, even if it's just for a little while they get that love that they're desperately needing," said Denise Lambrianou, the Program Coordinator for the Adoption Resource Center.
Anna Camp is a foster and adoptive mother. Her home is filled with hugs, kisses, and lots of love.
"There's never a moment that doesn't seem to be a happy moment," said Anna.
Anna always wanted children. To make her dream come true, she turned to foster care.
She's a single mom who adopted four of the 12 children she's fostered.
"You'd never know that they weren't biological brothers and sisters because they get along so well," said Anna.
Anna takes in medically fragile children. She's the mother of Lucy, 9, who has downs syndrome, Tabitha, 6, who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, Chris, 3, who was born addicted to cocaine, and the baby of the family, Daniel, 2.
Daniel made headlines when he was a newborn. He was found abandoned in a shoebox on a doorstep in Franklin, known only as Baby John Doe.
"They missed out a lot on him because he's always happy," said Anna.
Daniel is now a healthy, active toddler. He loves to play with his big brother and sisters.
"Even if you have them for a short while, you make a difference in their lives," said Anna.
Abe Bryan knows just how important having a stable home is.
"Our lives were always in a state where you could have us removed from our parents custody," said Abe.
Abe's father sold drugs and was killed when he was 10 years old. His mother became a drug addict and couldn't care for her children.
"I had to step up and do a lot of things that a 10 year old... 11 year-old shouldn't have to do," said Abe.
Abe's life changed when a Court Appointed Special Advocate took over his family's case.
"Because of the CASA workers involvement and us being removed from her custody she successfully completed a drug rehab program and got herself together and it made a big difference in our lives," said Abe.
Abe now works to give foster children a voice by speaking on behalf of CASA.
"It's to help young people that were like me, coming into their own as an adult," said Abe.
Back at Anna's hectic house, she's working to make sure her children are never in need.
She has a good model to copy. Anna was also adopted.
"My mother always put it that someone loved us enough to give us up, so that we could have a good home," said Anna.
Anna's teaching her children this same lesson.
Anna is currently fostering a fifth child.
As for Abe, he spent four years in the Navy. He's about to graduate from Jefferson Community College. After that he'll go to UofL to pursue a degree in Psychology. He wants to be a counselor or a lawyer.
For more information on the resources the Family Enrichment Center offers, you can log onto http://www.familyenrichmentcenter.com/
You can also see children looking for their forever families every Wednesday in Midday's Child on Midday Live.
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