“If someone is having a bad day, you can always encourage them to have a better day. That is why you need someone friendly and kind.” – Rocky, CHS adoptee
Meet Rocky. He loves superheroes and football. He dreams of going to Duke University on a scholarship and then playing professional football for the Kansas City Chiefs. While these are dreams shared by many boys, Rocky has not led the life that many boys do.
Rocky endured much trauma in his early life, which led to multiple foster families and diminishing hope for a family to call his own. Yet Rocky still dreamed of having a family to care about him, a family with dogs, a family who was nice and would not yell at him.
In January 2020, Rocky didn’t know that he was about to find his permanent, safe, and loving family. He was introduced to Leslie, his assigned CHS Child-Focused Recruiter. Leslie and Rocky spent time connecting and learning more about Rocky’s life, strengths, challenges, and wishes. Working closely with Rocky’s social worker, Leslie soon met Mr. Walker, a man who had a great passion for working with and mentoring teens. After just two weeks, Rocky and Mr. Walker knew they had both found their forever family and forever commitment.
The rest is history. The adoption was finalized in October 2021 when Rocky was 15. Today, Rocky and Mr. Walker continue to learn, work, and grow as a family. Connected through a natural bond that grew because someone was “friendly and kind.”
Did you know?
Of the longest waiting children within the foster care system:
- Many have had six or more placements.
- 22% have been in foster care for more than four years.
- 85%+ had minimal or no adoption recruitment efforts on their behalf before being referred to CHS.
- Within 18 months of emancipation, 40 to 50% of youth that has aged out of foster care become homeless.
Older children served through our Child-Focused Recruitment model are 3 times more likely to be adopted.
Support our longest waiting children in foster care find their forever family
