BURNABY (NEWS1130) - When many of us think of adoption, we tend to think of babies or young kids, but the process of uniting children with families continues well into adulthood.
The
Adoptive Families Association of BC estimates roughly 700 teens will be too old for foster care this year, yet only 25 of them will be adopted.
Executive Director Karen Madeiros says the years between 19 and 24 are critical for young people.
"Those are the years when they're off to college or university, they're getting their first couple of jobs, they're moving in an out often from their parents' home and we talk about them really being like an elastic band. They're going to go out and stretch it and then they're going to pop right back home again."
She adds the bonds formed can last a lifetime.
"This is the family that's going to be at their wedding, it's going to be the grandparents for their children; it's who they're going to call in the middle of the night when they have a flat tire; all of those kinds of things that we rely on our families for, for the rest of our lives."
There is an information session happening at AFABC headquarters at 200-7342 Winston Street in Burnaby between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., but there are not very many seats available.
A one hour
online seminar is set for this Thursday between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.