Everybody needs a family, even older children in foster care waiting for adoption. Teenagers are less likely than young children to get fostered or adopted, because everyone wants the perfect young child. More people should foster and adopt older children and teenagers, because it positively impacts the lives of the youth, family, and society. Children in foster care go through harsh things in life and need the love and support from a foster or adoptive parent. Not only does fostering or adopting older children change their lives, but it also impacts the lives of the people parenting them. Society is positively impacted by teenagers being fostered or adopted. More people should consider fostering and adopting older children and teenagers, …show more content…
Most of the time when people go to adopt or foster they expect to get the perfectly behaved, adorable two year old, but if everyone wants that little kid who is there to adopt or foster older children and teenagers. Adopting or fostering a teenager can also be a way for someone to start a family. Many people look to adoption because they are unable to have their own kids or decide they want to adopt. People decide to adopt or foster older children because they realize teenagers need parents too, and in some ways teenagers can be easier to take care of. Teenagers know how to communicate better then a toddler would and they know how to take care of themselves better than a baby would. Teenagers can wake up in the morning and get themselves ready without help. Another example why adopting or fostering older children and teenagers is positive towards the parents is, this gives the parents a chance to become a positive role model and mentor. Jessica Sullivan wrote an article entitled “Why More People Should Consider Fostering Teenagers.” Sullivan explains how amazing it would be to witness a teenager turn into the person they are meant to become, help them by their first car, support them in college, give them advice on important decisions, and be there to meet their first child. Sullivan states “ Being a foster parent to teenagers means you can give a lonely, lost teenager someone to rely on, and a person to help them through life” (2017, You may become the only family they have). Fostering or adopting teenagers is great because people can develop strong lasting bonds, relationships, and trust. Adopting teenagers can also be cheaper then adopting a child. Chuck Grassley wrote an article entitled “Myths about adopting teens in foster care.” Grassley Claims that adopting a child over the age of five in the