While adoption may not seem like a realistic option for you, you can still make a lasting impact on the lives of kids in foster care and in orphanages around the world. Participating in hosting programs creates another opportunity for these children to find lasting and meaningful connections. Here are five ways hosting programs can change a life…

1. Mentorship as a specialized human GPS.
   

   According to Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, 1 in 5 foster care youth who age out of the system will become homeless after age 18, only 1 in 2 will be employed at age 24 and less than 3 in 10 will earn a college degree. As a mentor you have the opportunity to provide personal support for a child, outside of the government and foster care system. You are there because you truly care, which can mean a lot to these kids who are a part of such a large system. Your influence can help keep these kids on track, recognize their own potential and transform their dreams into realities.

2. Prepare a child for an opportunity of a lifetime.
   

   Contrary to popular belief, not every child is ready to leave the life they have established and commit to adoption. From the child’s perspective, adoption can be quite scary. As a host and mentor, you have the opportunity to show a child the good that can come from adoption. Providing an open ear can give a child the ability to talk through what they are scared of and hopefully you can reach a place where they are not only comfortable with adoption, but excited as well.

3. Show off your child and potentially introduce them to their family.
   

   Exposing the child to your network of friends and the public is potentially introducing the child to an adoptive family who may have otherwise never had a chance to meet a foster kid. As a child’s advocate, you are able to provide your own matching services, changing the lives of both the child and the family. In a hosting role you can help extend your own network of positive people through to the child, thus creating a multitude of opportunities for all involved.

4. A chance to fall in love.
   

   While you may enter the hosting program convinced that you are not capable of adopting a child at the time, life is always changing. You never know what you could discover – you might develop a bond that goes beyond mentor/mentee. You could fall in love and choose to make a child a permanent part of your family – it happens all the time!

5. Creating more positive opportunities for orphans and foster youth of the future.
   

   Change the life of thousands of orphans and foster youth of the future by supporting the programs and organizations that are attacking this cause and bringing awareness to the issue. By participating now, you are helping to bring this issue into the spotlight. When these kids are placed in an environment where they can shine no one will be able to ignore their bright personalities, quirky characteristics and their unending potential.

To Get Involved, see more from Kidsave.org

AdoptTogether’s vision is of a world with a family for every child. We understand that adoption may not be the road for everyone, but that every single person can make a difference in the life of a child in need, which is why we are proud to partner with & support KidSave.

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