Thousands of children are waiting and ready to be adopted every day. Even in our own communities, children of all ages, ethnicities, and personalities are unfairly being deprived of the wonderful gift of a caring, stable, and loving family.

Even after having their own children, husband and wife, Emily and Bradly Van Camp understood the importance and benefits of adopting a foster child.

“I was sitting in a class that had nothing to do with adoption,” said Emily. “The teacher read a few quotes from foster children as an opener and I began crying. Not dignified, polite crying but embarrassing, runny nose, weird breathing crying. It was awkward, shocking, and totally clear, I needed to adopt a foster child.”

Fortunately, her husband was on the same page.

“I remember when I was in college telling a friend of mine that I wanted to adopt a kid someday,” said Bradly. “I always felt it was something worth doing to help children in need. However, after having three kids naturally, I did not think it was in our future until Emily came to me and said she felt strongly that we should adopt.”

Foster care systems provides assistance in the adoption process, hoping to give as many children a home as possible.

“The foster care system provides excellent training classes, an amazing support system, financial assistance, legal representation, and some pretty great kids, Emily Van Camp said. “Anyone considering adoption should look into adopting a foster child.”

“I think all families living in a stable environment should consider adopting,” said Bradly. “If more families adopted then there would not be children being shuffled from home to home. Imagine being in the foster care system your whole childhood and then being set out into the world, on your own, at age 18. Everyone needs a family, everyone deserves a family.”

After experiencing the process and results of fostering and adopting a child, the couple encourages others to do the same.

“Thousands of children in our own communities are in need of loving, forever families, nearly 428,000 children in the U.S.,” said Emily Van Camp. “Families should adopt, not only to help the children, but to bring a new person into their home that will enrich and make the families’ lives better. I cannot imagine our family without each of our children, and that includes our adopted son Brady,” said Bradly Van Camp.

“Without adoption,” said Emily Van Camp, “ Our family would have been denied the blessing of one of the funniest, most loving, unique and special little brothers/ sons a family could ever want.