American Foster Kids Hold Out Hope

(CBS)  The Brantwood Children's Homein Montgomery, Ala., is a place for kids from families broken beyond repair. They're all between 10 and 21 years old. All are available for adoption and looking for a loving home.

Will's a fifth-grader in his seventh school. He wonders what kind of family will adopt him, and how it will happen.

Too often, it doesn't.

CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann reports there haven't been any adoptions at Brantwood in the past four years.

Brantwood Children's Home

"It pierces your heart," says Kim Herbert, the executive director of Brantwood. "That's what we want for them."

Adoption awareness has been heightened by the Haiti earthquake -- which created thousands of new orphans. In the last eight weeks, more than 1,000 of them have come to America for adoption -- more than the last three years combined.

It's a new chance many Brantwood kids will never get.

"It's been too long for them, and that hope is gone," Herbert said. "They count on themselves."

Adoption Resources
Alabama DHR Adoption Website
Child Welfare League of America
Adoption Institute
Adopt Us Kids

In 2008, America's foster care system had 123,000 kids available for adoption. Just 45 percent -- 55,000 -- of them were adopted.

Typically the older they get, the worse their chances it will ever happen. Many children are also battling the scars of mental or physical abuse.

Many states and agencies post albums of available children.

"Meet these kids," Herbert said, "and learn their hearts. See their needs and what they're after."

Jack's after a second chance. At 13, he's the baby in a fractured family of nine. He says he's praying for a home of his own.

They all are praying for a family - and so far that is just a dream.

[LostYouth]

I have adopted two children from. My first cost me the whopping sum of $19 (yes, nineteen dollars). My second cost me $24 dollars. How? I went through the time and effort to take the training to become a foster parent! I received both of them straight from the hospital. They are 14 and 12 now. So many people just want to write a check. Please put the time in to be prepared, get to know who these precious children are, THEN take them into your hearts and homes. ADOPTING U.S. CHILDREN IS NOT EXPENSIVE, OR HARD. It is well worth your effort! Be patient.

[fosterchildren]

Brantwood Children?s Home like almost all other residential programs in the State of Alabama is licensed by the AL Dept. of Human Resources as a residential childcare facility, not as a child placing agency. It has never been a child placing agency, therefore it is not currently nor has it ever been an adoption agency. Children placed at Brantwood are almost always in the temporary custody of the State which means their parents? rights have not been terminated and they are not eligible for adoption. I can?t understand why Brantwood or any other residential program in AL would be selected to raise awareness about adoption. To view information on children eligible for adoption in Alabama you only have to go to the State of AL Dept. of Human Resources web site http://www.dhr.state.al.us/Index.asp and click on their quick link to Adoptions and AL Waiting Children at http://www.adoptuskids.org/states/al/index.aspx After searching that list it does not appear that any of the Brantwood children featured in this story are on the state?s adoption waiting list. You have to wonder why Brantwood and the AL Dept. of Human Resources are willing to violate their own policies and procedures as well as state and federal mandates to protect confidential and personal identifying information about children placed in their care. Do they really want the general public to have access not only to a vulnerable child?s picture, name, age and history, but also their address and phone number?

[fosterchildren]

Brantwood Children?s Home like almost all other residential programs in the State of Alabama is licensed by the AL Dept. of Human Resources as a residential childcare facility, not as a child placing agency. It has never been a child placing agency, therefore it is not currently nor has it ever been an adoption agency. Children placed at Brantwood are almost always in the temporary custody of the State which means their parents? rights have not been terminated and they are not eligible for adoption. I can?t understand why Brantwood or any other residential program in AL would be selected to raise awareness about adoption. To view information on children eligible for adoption in Alabama you only have to go to the State of AL Dept. of Human Resources web site http://www.dhr.state.al.us/Index.asp and click on their quick link to Adoptions and AL Waiting Children at http://www.adoptuskids.org/states/al/index.aspx After searching that list it does not appear that any of the Brantwood children featured in this story are on the state?s adoption waiting list. You have to wonder why Brantwood and the AL Dept. of Human Resources are willing to violate their own policies and procedures as well as state and federal mandates to protect confidential and personal identifying information about children placed in their care. Do they really want the general public to have access not only to a vulnerable child?s picture, name, age and history, but also their address and phone number?

[tmarie0327]

I watched your news coverage on US children in foster care and was infuriated. I have to say that I felt it was irresponsible journalism, at best. What I got from the story, as it was told, was that you're holding American families responsible for the fact that these precious children are without homes. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

The fact of the matter is this: It's nearly impossible to adopt US children. There is so much "Red tape" involved and it's so expensive that many of us who dream of adopting one of those children will never see that dream come true.

My heart aches for those children. I would bring one into my home in an instant if it were possible. But, it is not. The only way I can get one of those children is if I have tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars available, and several years to wait on the process. Adoption in the US is a racket. It's all about MONEY. The government wants money more than they want to find homes for those children. And, the fact of the matter is, we don't all have thousands upon thousands of dollars sitting in our bank accounts to hand over for adoption. But, what we do have are healthy, loving homes, and open arms.

At 31 years of age, I don't have years upon years to wait to become a mother. All I can do is be the best Aunt I can be to my nieces and nephews, volunteer for local children in need or, adopt a foreign child. So, I ask you, please get the story right. Stand up for America and all of us who wish we could adopt one of those beautiful children. Put the focus where it should be: on all the rules and regulations placed on adoption that make it nearly impossible and heartbreaking, not only for the children but all of us who would love to give them a home.

What government seems to forget is that adoption shouldn't be about money. Why on earth should it take so much money and so much time to give a child a home? There are many Americans, including me, who would take a child into their home immediately. Why isn't that the focus of adoption? Why not put a child into a healthy and loving home as soon as possible? Why do the child and the family have to wait so long and go through so much to be together? It's utterly ridiculous and completely maddening.

Don't flash news stories like this to people like me about how these children aren't being adopted. We know they aren't and we also know it isn't our fault.

If you're going to tell a story, tell it like it really is.

[LostYouth]

I have adopted two children out of California's foster care system. My first cost me the whopping sum of $19 (yes, nineteen dollars). My second cost me $24 dollars. How? I went through the time and effort to take the training to become a foster parent! I received both of them straight from the hospital. They are 14 and 12 now. So many people just want to write a check. Please put the time in to be prepared, get to know who these precious children are, THEN take them into your hearts and homes. ADOPTING U.S. CHILDREN IS NOT EXPENSIVE, OR HARD. It is well worth your effort!

[kitty28806]

Today I saw a story that you did about kids that need to be adopted.. That really hit home with me.. I was in foster care from age 5-18 and there must be more done for the kids.. They dont get to stay in school they are moved around so much.. I think that this story was great but there should be more said!!! How about ...what the odds are if they gont get a home.. Or how they dont get to finish high school.. And that most do drugs or jail.. I was blessed I told myself that I would not be in jail.. I worked really hard and now I work with spcial needs kids.. I want to give back.. You should talk to people who where in Foster care as adults there have alot to say.. I really want to do more.. What can I do.. I would love to talk with that lady you had on TV how can I get a hold of her??

[Tyler2003]

If you click on the blue colored name in the above article Barnatwood Children's Home, it will bring you directly to their web site. The women in the story is Kim Herbert, she is the Executive Director of Brantwood.
The phone number for Brantwood is 1-334-265-0784. I have called and spoken with Kim concerning ways in which I could be of assistance and or support of the children. She is a very pleasant women to speak with.
Good Luck.
Tyler2003

[julesadiaz88]

Katie & Matt,
This so saddens me. Besides myself, there are SEVERAL couples who are desperate to adopt in my area alone, but the cost is so ridiculous. If there are really that many children in need, why on earth do we have to mortgage our homes to help them out - I just do not understand!
I completely agree with the other comments. My husband and I searched and searched to adopt a child in the US since we are unable to have any of our own. We finally found a "cheap" adoption agency. It cost us $18K, but we have our little boy. We dislike being in debt, but it was the only way to get our son.
If you find a "cheaper" way - let me know immediately as we would love to help out many other children and adopt them. We just cannot afford $18K a child.
Thank You.

[Tyler2003]

My first post about foster care did not post the way I wrote it, so here it goes again.

F orce
O ur
S tates
T o
E ase
R estrictions

C reate
A doption
R elief
E verywhere

[tmarie0327]

I completely agree! A lot more children would be placed into homes if the adoption process wasn't so difficult.

[Tyler2003]

F O S T E R C A R E
o u t o a e r d e v
r r a s s e o l e
c t e t a p i r
e e r t t e y
s i e i f w
c o h
t n e
i r
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s

There must be a big media blitz to expose the difficult process in which one has to go through in an effort to adopt a foster child. The expense, the paperwork, and the extremely long waiting period.

I can not understand why it is so easy for a family to adopt a child from another country, and it is so timely and costly to adopt a child right here in the United States.

Something has to change.

I'm praying for you Will, I hope your dream comes true very soon.

[HopingToAdoptinIllinois]

Katie and Mark:

PLEASE FOLLOW UP ON THIS STORY! My husband and I have been trying unsucessfully for years to adopt a child here in the U.S. We took all the classes, filled out reams of paperwork, been fingerprinted, homestudied and passed every test with flying colors. But no one is interested in assisting with a domestic adoption. It is financial. Agencies make more money on fostering than adoption. So they push for fostering.

We are aggressively seeking children on the national databases and yet when we deliver all info to our caseworker on a plate, she drops the ball every single time. The only reason we do not yet have a child is due to the greed and laziness of these agencies and their mediocre caseworkers.

Don't get me wrong. There are many excellent caseworkers who work tirelessly for their kids. And they are the caseworkers who are overworked and underpaid. The rest of them are along for "field experience".

My husband and I are good, decent hardworking people who for whatever reason could not conceive our own child. Once we made the decision to adopt we knew it would be an older child or sibling group from the United States, not a foreign country. We thought that a domestic, older sibling group would be relatively easy to achieve as everyone else is looking for babies. Yet we are thwarted every step of the way. We would take Will into our homes in a heartbeat. In fact, we have made countless attempts to adopt other children all to no avail because of the "financial red tape" in interagency or interstate adoption.

The agencies and caseworkers claim that they are working for the children, and always in the best interest of the child. I beg to disagree. If that were the case, we would have been parents long ago.

Please follow up on parents wanting to adopt and why they are losing their battle to do so due to the agencies, caseworkers and "red tape". If all of those kids in Haiti could be adopted out so quickly why can't we adopt someone 1 county or 1 state away???

Hoping to Adopt in Illinois

[Tyler2003]

I too saw the news story on " American foster kids hold out hope " on 3-12-10. I can't stop thinking about the little boy Will. I have so many questions about him. What happened to his parents ? Why is he there ? Why has he been in seven different schools at age 11 ? How long has he been at Brantwood ? How long has he been in foster care ? How many foster homes has he been in ? I think about what he must be feeling as he is going through this ordeal. What are his likes and dislikes ? What are his hobbies, interests, favorite sports, and spotrs teams ? I could go on and on asking questions about this little boy in an effort to quench my thirst for information concerning his background history and his future well being.
My wife and I would adopt this little boy tomorrow if we had the means. We are an older couple, whose daughter is 35, and have two beautiful grandchildren, a boy 6, and a girl 4.

Upon reading some of the posts, I found it disturbing at just how hard and expensive it is for a US citizen to adopt a US foster child.

I also found it rather disturbing that 1,037 children from Haiti were adopted in 8 weeks, and not one child from Brantwood has been adopted in 4 years.

I urge everyone to write their Senators and Gongressman concerning this injustice on adoption.

CBSNEWS, Katie Couric, and Mark Strassmann MUST KEEP THIS STORY ALIVE and do followup investigations and news stories concerning the difficulties, and outragious expense for a family to adopt a foster child.

I also urge CBSNEWS, Katie Couric, and Mark Strassmann to KEEP THIS STORY ALIVE by following the lives of the children of Brantwood Children's Home. Do followup segments on a weekly or monthly basis, or even make it a regular series so that we may see if and when a child is placed in a loving and caring home, and see their dreams come true. You want reality TV ? This is reality. HELP THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP THESE CHILDREN. BRING AWARENESS TO THIS SITUATION ON A REGULAR BASIS.

I Pray that someone who has children in the same age range, and the means, can adopt the little boy Will and give him a loving and caring home so that he can have once and for all a " childhood ".

CBSNEWS, Katie Couric, and Mark Strassmann, I am counting on all of you to make this happen. Hold politicians, and adoption agencies feet to the fire so that the adoption process is not so difficult and expensive. These childrens lives, childhood and well being are at stake.

[pearweed]

My husband and I watched this report along with our 12 year old son. All of us were stunned by the statistics and we were also particularly interested in Will.

Many thoughts go through a persons mind when they think of changing their familiar home structure by bringing another person into it, but we would love to bring Will into our home.

However, after doing some very limited research it doesn't appear that any of the children at Brantwood could be adopted. I read the comments from some people who claim that and combined with what I see on the web I'm inclined to believe it.

For anyone who may be interested, I ran a search on the owner of the domain name for Brantwood Children's Home. (I'm a web designer, but this is public information and open to anyone). After I viewed the site I recognized the design as a free theme from WordPress. Very little money has been put into the site. The most noticeable element about the site is they're asking for money. I may be way off the mark here, but I'm making an educated guess that Brantwood Children's Home receives funds from the State of Alabama for each child in their care.

The owner of the domain brantwoodchildrenshome.org can easily be viewed at iptools.com - according to that public information, the domain is owned by Jason Wohlford. A simple search for Jason Wohlford returns many matches, but among them is a Twitter page at: https://twitter.com/wohlford

He says in his own description that he lives in Montgomery, Alabama. I don't know if he owns Brantwood or has some other interest in it, but he's a businessman closely related to the affairs of the orphanage.

I would urge CBS to do a follow-up story on Brantwood Children's Home. If these children are eligible for adoption then let it be known and if they're not eligible for adoption, let those of us who have followed this story know why.

CBS and Katie, I have always followed your news reporting because I respect it for it's integrity. Please don't drop this report and please don't become like so many others who only look at ratings and amount to nothing more than infotainment.

As others have already said, these are children's lives and day by day they grow older. I shudder to think that Brantwood Children's Home is nothing more than a business where children are the commodity for a monthly check for some government agency.

Please, please do a follow-up story.