Waiting Children

“She was the perfect fit, and I love her so much,” recently said a pre-adoptive parent after being matched with 16-year-old waiting child, Lizzy. 

Across Pennsylvania, there are currently nearly 14,000 children in out-of-home placements and more than 1,700 children waiting to be adopted. (Source)

According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), on average, children spend 20 months in the foster care system in the United States. 

Every child deserves a loving, permanent home where they feel cared for, safe, and supported.

what does waiting children mean?

Many children within the foster care system are not able to reunify with their biological families due to no fault of their own. When children are not able to reunify, they must find permanency elsewhere.  

At Bair, we believe that every youth deserves a permanent, safe, and loving family. We provide matching services for youth and sibling groups that need an adoptive family identified for them. We work diligently to identify the best match between youth and families. 

how does matching service work?

The first and most important step is to become a certified foster parent. Consider becoming an approved foster family through The Bair Foundation; however, you do not need to be certified with The Bair Foundation to be considered as a potential placement for children with whom we provide matching services.

Once certified, you can be considered a potential placement for a youth in need and will have a point of contact at your organization who will work with you throughout the matching process.

When matching with a child, you will have the opportunity to learn information about the child’s history and needs to best determine if your family’s strengths and skills align well with the child’s. The child’s team of professionals will also review your family’s information. This exchange of information is all done prior to placement to ensure that the best fit is made for a successful and stable placement.

Prior to placement, it is customary for the selected family and the youth to engage in visitation with each other. This will help you both feel comfortable with each other and aid in a smooth transition into the home. 

This process can vary depending upon the potential of specific procedures in either you or the child’s region; however, this is a general understanding of what the matching process typically entails.

i’m not from pa, can i adopt a waiting child?

The Bair Foundation has six offices throughout Pennsylvania. Through our adoption license in Pennsylvania, we provide services through the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.

As an affiliate agency of the SWAN network, we are contracted by PA County Children and Youth agencies to provide these matching services for youth in need. Although the children on this list are from Pennsylvania, many times both they and their county of custody agency are in agreement with having the child placed outside of Pennsylvania, if the best fit match resides in another state.

waiting children’s list

Below, you’ll find a link to the latest version of our Waiting Children’s List. We encourage you to review the list to learn about these amazing kids in need of a loving, permanent home. 

Every child has a Bair matching worker listed who is dedicated to speaking with families that want to learn more about youth. They assist with the matching process, from the initial inquiry to placement in your home. Whether you’re already certified or thinking about getting certified, please review our list and reach out. There is no better time to start than now!  

To learn more general information about the foster-to-adopt process, please e-mail info@bair.org or call 1-800-543-7058.