Foster Care Awareness Month

Thank You for Supporting Give Local Midland 2026!

We are incredibly grateful to the many generous donors who supported Adoption Option, Inc. during the 2026 Give Local Midland campaign. Because of your kindness and commitment to children and families, we raised an incredible $35,580 by the end of May 5 through this impactful community initiative.

Your support makes a difference in so many ways. Donations not only directly support the children, youth, and families we serve each day, but also help strengthen our agency’s long-term sustainability through our endowment fund with the Midland Area Community Foundation (MACF). In addition, every gift helped unlock matching funds, maximizing the impact of your generosity.

At Adoption Option, Inc., we believe strong families and healthy communities are built through compassion, connection, and support. Thanks to donors like you, we are able to continue providing critical services, advocacy, and hope to those navigating difficult circumstances.

We are truly honored to serve this community and deeply thankful for every individual, family, business, and supporter who contributed to this year’s campaign. Your generosity is helping create brighter futures and lasting change for the families we serve.

May is National Foster Care Month – Let’s Celebrate Foster Care!

Each May, we proudly recognize National Foster Care Month, a time dedicated to honoring the children, youth, foster families, professionals, and community partners who are part of the foster care journey.

This month serves as a reminder of the strength and resilience demonstrated every day by children and youth in foster care, many of whom have faced significant challenges while continuing to show courage and hope. We also celebrate the foster parents and caregivers who open their hearts and homes to provide safety, stability, and support during critical moments in a child’s life.

At Adoption Option, Inc., we are especially grateful for our dedicated staff, community partners, and supporters who work tirelessly to advocate for and walk alongside children and families throughout their journey.

We invite you to read this month’s “I Make A Difference Moment” feature, where one of our dedicated foster care team members shares a meaningful story about the impact they have made while supporting a family on their foster care journey.

The primary goal during foster care is to reunite the child with his or her parents, which can take some time. In the interim, parents with a licensed foster home serve as caring adults providing stability and safety for children in their care.

While a child is in Foster Care, we provide supportive services to birth parents, their children and the foster parents who agree to love, nurture and care for children until a permanent resolution can be found. Our services are to strengthen birth families in overcoming life challenges and assist families with reunification services while ensuring the safety and well-being of their children. Foster families help provide children with stability, consistency and support as they grow and develop while in care.

When a foster child is referred to our agency, we assign a foster care caseworker to work with the child, the birth family, and the foster family to ensure the child’s needs (safety, health, education, and progress towards permanency) are met.

The need in our area is great and we continue to provide the resources needed to meet the local demand. Would you like to learn more about Foster Care and how you can contribute? Contact info@aoicw.org.

Adoption Option Inc. Shows Up with Heart at the

6th Annual Grit Your Grief 5K!

Several members of our team laced up their sneakers and joined the community for

this year’s Grit Your Grief 5K Run/Walk! A huge thank you to all of our staff, family members, friends, and supporters who showed up, represented AOI, and helped make

this another incredible year!

We’re proud to share that, for the second year in a row, Adoption Option Inc. took home the Biggest Team Award! 🎉💙

These last three months have given me many opportunities to meaningfully interact with and support children and families. Just last month, we had a child who was having a very difficult time at his placement and ended up coming to the office after an incident with his foster parents. He spent the day with me at the office as we attempted to find a new placement - and when he heard that the family friend he had wanted to live with was not able to serve as a foster home, he walked out the front door and began screaming and cursing. I followed him up and down the street, walking with him to ensure he stayed safe all while he yelled. At one point, he said that he was going to kill himself if he entered another non-relative foster home. That night, I ended up taking him to the hospital, and two of our case aides where two of our case aides stayed with him overnight.

The next morning, he came back to the office, and with the help of my coworkers, we found a foster home for him to stay with over the weekend. At first, he was hesitant and refused to go to the placement, but we had a good feeling about this home for him. Eventually, I was able to convince him to go with me to the new home. He was immediately oppositional, but the foster parent was willing to work with him and understood his needs well. That weekend, I got a text from the child, telling me, “I think I really like it here. I like all these kids and the foster dad, they’re so nice.”

The moment I saw this message, I was so happy that we had finally found a placement where he seemed to be doing well, but at the same time, I had a sinking feeling in my chest because the foster parent had only agreed to keep him for the weekend. I knew that his liking this home would only make moving him after the weekend that much more painful for him. Read more.

National Foster Care Month

Engaging Youth. Building Supports. Strengthening Opportunities.

The Children's Bureau's National Foster Care Month campaign recognizes the important role that people from all parts of child welfare play in supporting children, youth, and families. This year's theme highlights the need to create a child welfare system that authentically engages and supports young people who are preparing to leave foster care.

Youth who emancipate from foster care without permanent connections are at increased risk for adverse outcomes in adulthood. View these statistics to see the impact that relational connections have on improving long-term well-being for children and youth in foster care and the importance of providing concrete supports, appropriate interventions, and opportunities for youth.

365,000

There are over 365,000 children and youth in foster care.

18,500

Approximately 18,500 youth are emancipated from foster care without a permanent family.

You can find support

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offers FindSupport.gov, a user-friendly website, designed for the general public, to help people identify available resources, explore unbiased information about various treatment options, and learn how to reach out to get the support they need for issues related to mental health, drugs, or alcohol.

Find health care or support

Get the best ways to search for a health care professional or program.

How to cope

Learn about the signs that you may need help, how to ask for help, and ways to take care of yourself.

Learn about treatment

Find out about treatment types, how to make an appointment, and how to prepare yourself for treatment.

How to pay for treatment

Find options for covering costs with or without insurance, including free and low-cost programs.

Helping someone

Learn how to talk to a loved one about getting help and how to take care of yourself.

Get help now

Sometimes help can't wait. There are people you can call, text, or chat for help right now.

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-support

The 21st Annual Michigan Teen Conference is taking place

June 23–24, 2026 at Saginaw Valley State University!

This exciting statewide event brings together youth (ages 14–23) with foster care experience for two days of connection, empowerment, workshops, resources, and fun—all centered around this year’s theme:

Take Charge of Your Journey

The conference helps participants build confidence, explore future opportunities, connect with peers, and gain valuable tools for success!💙