Published: May 09, 2008 10:57 am         

A new home

Foster program offers opportunities for adoption

CAMDEN — Marianne and Steve Berkshire adopted Rachel, now 2, last month.

As soon as she was born, Rachel had been placed into foster care with Marianne’s sister in Lafayette. Born only one pound, 12 ounces, she first spent three months in the hospital while she got healthy enough to go home.

On Rachel’s second birthday, the parental rights were terminated, and Marianne and Steve officially adopted Rachel as their own. She moved into their Camden home in August.

Since the adoption, Marianne has been spreading the word that there are local children to adopt.

“There are a lot of kids available right here in this community,” she said.

Marianne and Steve first looked into adopting in the country of Ukraine because Marianne had assumed there were no children to adopt locally.

“That’s what we thought initially,” Marianne said. “We didn’t know that there were children available here.”

The Berkshires adopted through Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth, a non-profit treatment foster care agency with an office in Fort Wayne that serves more than 1,000 children and their families in eight states.

Marianne was excited when she learned she would be able to adopt in Indiana. She had assumed she would be placed on a long waiting list.

“There are definitely children locally available for adoption, it’s just about finding that right fit,” said Cindy Reeser, family case manager at the Department of Child Services in Cass County.

According to Brenda Burgy-Schweizer, SAVY public and media relations director, more than half a million children in the United States need foster homes.

“And that number is going to continue to escalate,” she said. “The predictions are in the next decade, there will be 9 million children in foster care. It makes it critical that we recruit very loving, compassionate, skilled foster parents.”

Reeser said that there are a lot of foster-to-adopt programs out there for prospective parents to consider.

Marianne said going to a foster parents convention in Indianapolis in 2007 helped her and Steve to make their decision.

“You just ended up in tears,” she said. “Some of these kids are so emotionally wrecked right now, and it’s not their fault.”

The Berkshires say they don’t have anything against international adoptions, but they recommend prospective parents look local first.

“People think that there’s not any kids here,” Marianne said as she paused and looked at her daughter. “I feel like we ended up with the perfect child.”

Melissa Soria may be reached at (574) 732-5143 or via e-mail at melissa.soria@pharostribune.com