Despite considerable efforts, there are children
in foster care in Los Angeles County for whom no adoptive family
can be found. In Los Angeles County, over 35,000 children receive
child welfare services; 23,000 of them live in out-of-home care.
Over 2,000 of these children will never be able to return home because
they reside in long-term foster care with no alternatives. Of the
more than 800 Los Angeles County children currently waiting for adoptive
homes, the majority are older African American and Latino children.
Nationally as well as locally, African American children are over-represented
in the foster care population. Moreover, children from the Latino
community are now the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in
Los Angeles County’s foster care system.
Los Angeles Weekend Miracles is a partnership of Kidsave and Los
Angeles County’s Department of Children and Family Services.
We work together to make miracles happen for kids without families.
The Department of Children and Family Services
The Department of Children and Family Services is responsible
for preparing the children for recruitment, adoption, and the Weekend
Miracles experience. The Department is also responsible for the approval
of host families. DCFS makes all decisions related to host family
placement, adoptive placement and finalization of adoption. They
monitor the weekend placements, and provide ongoing support to the
children and host families. These activities are supported by tax
dollars.
Kidsave
Kidsave is responsible for community outreach for the Kidsave Los
Angeles Weekend Miracles Program. We continue to build a local coalition
by contacting businesses and associations and asking them to become
corporate sponsors for fundraising and volunteers. In addition, Kidsave
seeks to engage the support of Los Angeles County community leaders,
local and federal elected officials, the media, and celebrities for
the Kidsave Los Angeles Weekend Miracles Program. Kidsave is working
to form relationships in minority communities and to provide information
to engage interested people as hosts and advocates.
Get Involved
If you live in the Los Angeles area, please consider hosting
a child or volunteering your
services.
For more information about Weekend Miracles LA, email Erin
Carter |
