Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption with Rita Sorenon

<div><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Rita Soronen is the President & CEO of the <a href= "https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener" data-saferedirecturl= "https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/&source=gmail&ust=1651489986927000&usg=AOvVaw37SUk7UxRXAv2eDZt1oHFd"> Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption</a>, which has just commissioned a Harris poll to survey Americans about their attitude towards adoption. </span></div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <p dir="ltr">While more than half of adults in the U.S. (67%) agree that every child is adoptable, many remain wary of adopting teenagers.  <span style= "font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In fact, only 3% of respondents considered adopting a teenager as their first choice and 30% felt that teens who were not adopted by the time they turned 18 would be just fine on their own. This opinion was reflected <a href= "https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/08/parenting/foster-care-coronavirus.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl= "https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/08/parenting/foster-care-coronavirus.html&source=gmail&ust=1651489986927000&usg=AOvVaw0aB7OQ1antwjvEFi3_rI9o"> at the start of the pandemic</a> when only a few states implemented policies to prevent youth from aging out of the system during the pandemic leaving them to fend for themselves. </p> <p dir="ltr"><span style= "font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p> <p dir="ltr">Youth who age out of the foster care system without being adopted – around 20,000 a year –  are at higher risk for negative outcomes like homelessness, unemployment, early parenthood or incarceration. </p> <p dir="ltr"><span style= "font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p> <p dir="ltr">The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is unique in that it specializes in foster care adoption and provides support for trained adoption professionals dedicated to finding home