National Child Abuse Prevention Month Highlights Children's Needs in America
(DALLAS, Texas) — Every 10 seconds a child in America is abused. And nearly a half a million children are tossed from home to home each year in state foster care systems.
That's why Buckner Foster Care and Adoption works hard to find them caring families, said Director JoAnn Cole, during National Child Abuse Prevention Month and throughout the year.
Daniel, 8, and Reyna, 7, were in the foster care system for two years and moved from house to house so often that it took them a while to understand the concept of a permanent home after he and his sister were adopted through Buckner.
"We lived in three houses before this," Daniel said. "It was hard to go, go, go, drive and go, go go... I thought we would have to move again, but they kept telling us we'd stay until we grew up."
The Buckner Foster Care and Adoption Network is part of Buckner International, the largest faith based, non-profit social service agency of its kind in the country. Buckner has facilitated adoptions since 1884, placing more than 4,000 children in permanent homes.
"Reyna and Daniel needed a forever family, but sometimes children are in situations where their parents just need some time to get their lives together," Cole said. "That's why Buckner offers foster care. Some kids need temporary families."
Buckner also facilitates international adoptions from China, Guatemala, Russia and Ethiopia for families living throughout the United States. Children in other countries are thrown out of orphanages at age 16 with little to no vocational or educational skills. International adoption gives them hope for their futures. Buckner is Hague accredited.
Buckner Foster Care and Adoption offers programs such as infant domestic adoption, Texas Waiting Children/CPS adoption, foster to adopt and foster care to meet the needs of children in Texas.
For more information on Buckner Foster Care and Adoption, or for statistics and further information on National Child Abuse Prevention Month, visit www.beafamily.org.
For more information, contact:
JoAnn Cole
Director, Buckner Foster Care and Adoption Network
Office: (214) 758-8029
jcole@buckner.org
www.beafamily.org
