The Christian Science Monitor

A champion of foster children in need of permanent families

Ken Mullner, head of the National Adoption Center, stands in front of a quilt featuring art by children the center has worked with.

When John Thomas and his wife, Jane, were looking to adopt, they initially were searching for a child between the ages of 3 and 5. But as they found out about the challenges for teens aging out of the foster care system, as well as the fact that some siblings are split up, their plans changed.

“We learned about the unfortunate statistics of what happens to children who age out in the system: Homelessness, addiction, incarceration and mental health issues,” says Mr. Thomas in an email interview.

After conducting many online searches and attending an adoption event, Thomas and his wife adopted three siblings who had, at various times, been separated while in the foster care system. When they joined the family in 2009, Jonathan was 10, Alaina was 13, and Isaiah was

Some 23,000 families createdFirsthand experienceA connection to Wendy’sThree groups helping orphan children

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