Wednesday, June 28, 2006

17 year olds

I am getting ready to try to recruit for a 17 year old AA teenage boy. i wish I had a long list of families that would say “We’d love to have him!” But I don’t.

I want every kid in a family before they age out. I want those kids to have somebody -- a resource, a back drop, a committed person in their corner.

Yeah, it would be hard to take a kid that age. Yeah, it would be difficult for the child to attach well. But it sure beats the alternative -- 75% of kids who age out are incarcerated, homeless, or dead in ten years. The other 25% don’t fare very well. Occasionally there is a teen or two that overcomes and makes it but unless they connect with some people of significance in their lives, they are very much alone and on their own.

Why don’t I take him, you might ask?

You better believe I would if we could... and if you’ve followed my blog I am sure you can figure out why we couldn’t.

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