Adoption Exchange Association (AEA)

“Celebrating our 25th year of serving the adoption community.”

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The Issue
500,000 children are in foster care in the United States right now. 114,000 of those children will not be able to return to their parents and are waiting for families to adopt them. And every year, 26,000 children—71 each and every day—age out of foster care without permanent families, alone and not prepared for life’s challenges. 1

The “waiting children” are like any other, except that their parents were not able to care for them, their parental rights were terminated, and now they wait for new families to raise them to adulthood and beyond. Among those who wait there are more boys than girls; there are some young children, but many are teenagers; some have brothers and sisters who love each other and don’t want to be separated; and others have special emotional, medical, or educational needs. The most fortunate among these children are adopted by loving families and are given the chance they need to turn their lives and futures around. For those who are not adopted, however, research has shown that the future may be bleak, including higher rates of teenage pregnancy, incarceration, and homelessness.

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

How You Can Be
Part of the Solution!

In 2008, AEA has a budget of $4million, 90% of which comes from a cooperative agreement with the Children’s Bureau of the United States Department of Health & Human Service. Because we, as a society, are socially and financially responsible for our country’s most vulnerable children, the remaining 10% of AEA’s budget must come from within the community. We all must take responsibility for the problems and solutions for waiting children. AEA is asking you to consider a leadership contribution at one of three levels: $2,000, $5,000, or $10,000. If you can involve your company, we are asking you to consider a leadership gift of $25,000. Contributions of all sizes are welcome and sincerely appreciated. AEA is a non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. To make your contribution now, please click "donate online". You can also send us a check.

The Solution
Because of many dedicated organizations around the country, thousands of children in foster care are adopted each year. But without continuous and renewed focus, the hardest to place of these children—teenagers, sibling groups, and those with special needs—will face their futures alone. The Adoption Exchange Association (AEA) is determined that no child in the United States be without a family. We focus our attention on the

hardest to place children and, through our own initiatives and those of our member agencies, AEA achieves results:

Over 9,000 children featured on AdoptUsKids since 2002 now are living with adoptive families
Each month, 150 more children are adopted after being featured on adoptuskids.org
Since 2002, 40,000 people contacted AEA about becoming foster or adoptive parents after seeing our website and advertising campaign
And each year, AEA’s member agencies recruit thousands of new families and match those families to the thousands of children in their states who need families most

For additional information:
Contact us!

All Rights Reserved - Adoption Exchange Association - April 2007