BILLINGS — November is National Adoption Month and there are more than 3,000 children in foster care in Montana.
MTN News would like to introduce you to a very special one of those children, 20-month old Jared. "He is a very lovable child that has a smile that will melt anybody’s heart," said his foster mother Kari Reiter.
Jared has been in foster care since he was two months old due to physical abuse.
"He is a very lovable child that has a smile that will melt anybody’s heart," said his foster mom, Kari Reiter. "There’s a lot of kids that are easier to place than children like Jared, but if people open up their hearts and their minds, I know that there’s a home for him."
He is a shaken baby, with permanent injuries as a result of the trauma. He is blind for the most part, but he sees lights and shadows out of the right eye. He is 100 percent G-tube dependent. He’s on a Bi-Pap at night.
Jared will require a home that will be able to provide stay at home care, or a nurse, though some monetary assistance will help with cost of care.
He LOVES dogs: "The little dog we have likes to sleep next to him and he kinda curls into him and likes it."
Jared has taught his foster family a lot in his short two years of life: "I’ve learned that these kids teach me more than I teach them, they also give us more than we are able to give them, and to me that makes it all worth while."
And though the road ahead may not be a totally easy one, Reiter says it is a doable one.
"Watching them grow and change, and just become who they’re meant to be, I just pray that when they leave our house, they continue to do that, and wherever they go finds the same excitement and joy and peace that I do in it all."
You can contact the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services for information about adoption and/or fostering at 1-866-9-FOSTER (1-866-936-7837). Children who are available for adoption through the Child & Family Services Division of the DPHHS have been removed from their own families because of abuse, neglect, or other family problems that make it unsafe for them to remain at home. The rights of their parents have been terminated making the children available for adoption.
Who May Adopt? Either married couples or single adults who have an approved pre-placement evaluation or adoptive home study may adopt in the State of Montana.
How do I get a home study? If you live in Montana, you may begin the process by contacting your county office of Child and Family Services. If you live outside of Montana, contact your state or local office that provide these services.
What about training? Montana Child and Family Services require and provide special training to all of our foster and adoptive parents. The training is offered at various times and places around the State of Montana. If you live in Montana, information is available from your county CFS office . If you live outside of Montana, contact your state or local office that provides these services.
Click here to learn more about child adoption in Montana.
