Hi and welcome to a segment of Somos Hispanos.

I'm your host, Christiana Malacara Today we will be speaking with Sarah and Ayana from Adoption Options, Inc.

Adoption Option, Inc. is a Michigan nonprofit child placement agency dedicated to providing adoption, foster care, and family preservation services to support children and their families in need.

In the Great Lakes Bay region and beyond.

First of all, I want to thank you ladies for joining me from Adoption Option Inc.

It is a... well you know what I'm going to let you guys define it because the title may be Adoption Option.

There's so many more services that you provide.

So, you know, it's something that has a much larger definition than its title.

Sarah, do you mind introducing the Adoption Option to all of our viewers?

Yes, absolutely.

So adoption option, as a child welfare organization.

So, as you said, we do have, a much broader range of services than just adoption, although that is where we started.

Our founder and CEO, was inspired by, wanting to connect adoptable children from foster care with adoptive families.

So that was where we started.

But we have definitely grown much more than that in the last 20 years.

So our services, really focus on, the child welfare system working with children and families that are involved in the child welfare system, but also providing preventative services, before they ever get involved in that system at all.

So we really do try to, attack the problem at its root and, you know, help families overcome barriers and challenges that may lead to, them being involved in child welfare, but hopefully our services prevent that.

However, one family do get involved.

We do also offer, foster care, adoption and licensing services, to help those families hopefully reunify, or to connect children with adoptive homes.

Great, So, what area do you serve?

We serve seven counties, the Great Lakes Bay region.

Okay, And how long has adoption option been around?

I know you said 20 years ago it started out as an idea.

Did we start right at 20 years ago, or how did you know?

How long did this process take to build up?

2024 was our 20th anniversary.

So 2025 now it's been, 21 years.

Wow, so, can you explain, maybe walk us through what some of those steps might be when someone comes into the office and what services you do provide.

So we also have family preservation programs and we have pact, which is our supervision.

When when children are removed from their families, we go in and, supervise their visits with their biological parents.

We also have AIH, in-home parenting program.

We have YIT and that is a youth transition.

And we also have prep as an as, in-home program as well, education program.

And we have let's see, building community partners.

Those are the parents who lost their children and regain their children back.

And so they walk hand in hand with the parents who are experiencing, being in a system.

So this is an entire spectrum of services essentially.

We're talking about birth, teen and the parents are receiving services as well.

Correct.

So I'm walking into the office.

And what is one of the most, I guess, common, cases that you see that are onboarded here at Adoption Option.

So I will say, the programs that Ayana just described are our family preservation programs, which are aimed at preventative measures for families to ensure that they stay together, and don't have to go through, the child welfare system.

Other side of that coin is, as I mentioned earlier, our foster care licensing and adoption programs.

So those are aimed at helping families that are now involved in child welfare.

So a lot of the times when people are coming into our office looking for information, Adoption Option, a lot of those families are looking to adopt.

But we do really encourage families to also become foster parents, and also become mentors, for our youth.

And children and our families.

So we have a plethora of programs.

And so, it just depends on what a person is really looking to do and how they want to get involved.

When someone comes in and is looking to be a foster parent.

What does that process look like?

Can you walk us through that?

Yeah, absolutely.

So the first step to becoming a foster parent is to attend a foster parent orientation.

This is a one time, three hour training that we typically conduct in the home with the family.

And it really helps us to get to know them and understand their family dynamic and what their goals are to become a foster parent.

But it also gives them the opportunity to get all the information that they need, about what foster parenting looks like, what the requirements are.

More details about the process itself, and the rules and expectations they will have as a foster parent.

And so that's really where people are getting all of that nitty gritty information, that they need to make that decision if it's right for them.

From the end of the orientation and they are offered an application if they choose to move forward or not.

Obviously, no family is obligated to do that.

And then once they have signed the application, that's when the process really begins.

And so we do require parents to go through certain trainings.

One of them is grow training and the other one is CPR and first aid.

And some other milestones in the process include fingerprinting and clearances, home visits and interviews.

And all of the information that we gather from the family, as compiled into one report called a home study.

That home study gets sent to the Division of Child Welfare Licensing with a recommendation from us, and then the Division of Child Welfare or licensing, ultimately, you know, makes the decision of approval or not.

The process all told, typically takes about three months.

But we really work hand-in-hand with the family at whatever pace they are willing and able to work at.

Quite a few steps in the process are dependent on their schedule, such as going to training.

And submitting documentation.

So again, we really work at whatever pace they can.

I've had families that have taken a year and a half to get license just because of life you know.

I've had other families get licensed within two months.

So it just really depends.

We're really, work with everyone and all of our programs on a very individual basis, and what's really going to work best for them.

Wonderful, that is, exactly what I was hoping that you would share the, you know, each step by step, move and how you navigate through that.

But, you know, that can be a process for, for people.

You know, you have to, I'm assuming have, you know, the state of mind means and also just be ready to jump in to that journey.

So I know you had mentioned, in the past, with me, that you're also looking to expand.

Who are those families who are those parents and their cultural background?

Can you speak on that?

Yes, absolutely.

So I will say that, throughout the year 2024 and now going into 2025, we have serviced, 34 youth and children that identify as Hispanic Latino.

In our programs across our counties, and foster care.

However, I actually only have one foster parent, at all with our agency that identifies as Hispanic Latino.

And we really, really do our best to match our children.

With families that are going to be, most comfortable for them that they identify the most with.

And so we really want to be able to keep children connected to their cultural background, their traditions and their heritage.

And so we really are trying to reach out, to a wide variety of populations, so that we can have those homes available, to our children.

So, I mean, that's 34 children that, you know, may not be placed in a home that reflects our culture.

And so we really want to make sure that we have a diverse, population of foster parents that are just as unique as all of the children that we have in our care.

Do you see the same need in adoption with having a diverse group of people and parents that, that you also need for that fostering?

Yes, absolutely.

Typically, actually, a lot of our foster homes go on to become adoptive homes as well.

So when children are placed in a foster home, initially our goal is for that to be temporary.

Most often, kids that are in foster care, are only in foster homes for a limited period of time while we're working with their family to overcome barriers and challenges and hopefully have children go back home to their biological parents.

However, sometimes, you know, parents are not able to overcome some of those, challenges and ultimately rights may be terminated.

And in those instances, more often than not, the foster family that the child has been placed with becomes their adoptive family after that.

So we are definitely, absolutely looking for very diverse, adoptive families as well.

Just as much as we are for foster care and it's almost even more important, for our adoptive families to be more diverse and reflect the cultures of the children that we have in our care, because they're providing permanency.

They're going to be their family permanently until they grow into adulthood.

And so that's even more time, that we want them to continue to be connected to their culture and not move away from that.

Yeah, great.

Ayana, on the other side of the coin here.

Because, you know, we kind of divided Adoption Option into, the the process of keeping keeping the family together, too.

Right.

Yeah.

So when we're talking about all of these programs that you have, what is one that you see that needs more attention by the Latino population?

Youth In Transition is our, YIT program.

And those are the kids who are aging out of the foster care system.

And so we match them up with mentors.

So I think that having more, mentors would be a good, start.

What are some of those, mentors doing now?

I mean, where what kind of walks of life are they in that they, can provide, you know, to be a mentor, you know?

And who are you looking for to expand that?

We are looking for someone with time who have empathy, who want to reach back and help the youth, with life skills, with getting on their feet.

If they were teaching, and just being like a big brother.

Big sister.

So the youth that are going through that program, when we're discussing the Latino population, do you see that population moving through that program more, more often than others or what are those statistics look like?

We serve two youth.

And, we did not have any mentors in that program, so we need mentors.

Yeah, And how does one, sign up to be a mentor?

You can call our office.

It's an interview.

You fill out an application, go through background checks, and then they match you up.

And what does that look like once you are assigned a mentor?

It looks like you get a youth and either, you have one hour a week with them, and then you have group, experience with all YIT youth and their mentors once a month.

Okay, we're at it?

It depends.

It depends.

Every month it's a different it's different.

Situations, experiences.

Last month we did a wellness program, and so it was at our office, but it may not be at our office.

It just depends on what they have set up.

And when it comes to the Latino population overall going through this process.

What if we have someone who's bilingual?

Is there resources for them at Adoption Option for Spanish speakers?

Unfortunately, right now we do not have a particular service, for bilingual clients.

However, it's definitely possible for us to seek out resources through DHS.

If your looking for, like, translation kind of things like that.

We don't actually have anyone, like, in-house for that kind of thing.

But we definitely can connect families with any resources that we can get our hands on.

Through the state of Michigan or even other nonprofits in our community, that we can partner with.

You said that you served several counties in the area.

Can you let us know what counties those are?

And then, which ones have the, you know, right now through your services, which ones have the highest Latino population that you do serve?

So we do service actually, like about 22 counties, across the state of Michigan, our focus is the Great Lakes Bay Region.

So majority of our cases, at least for foster care and adoption and licensing, are through Midland, Gladwin Bay, Arenac, Genesee and Clare, Isabella and Saginaw.

We do...we have actually also expanded a satellite office down to Wayne County as well.

So we are newly accepting cases in that area.

So really honestly our services expand across the entire state of Michigan.

I will say, that for Bay County specifically while we're here, there is about 17 children that we have serviced in our foster care and adoption programs that identify as Hispanic Latino.

And again, only one foster parent that I have that has identified as Hispanic Latino.

And so, that does make it very difficult for us to keep them connected to their culture and be a part of their community.

So my final message would really be to encourage people, to reach out to us and, learn more about becoming a foster parent.

And even if you cannot become a foster parent, even talking to other people in your community, saying the words adoption, option, talking about, becoming a foster parent to someone you know, is so helpful to us as well.

Because really, what we're here to do is say our name out loud, right?

And talk about, talk about the needs.

And be educational, to other people.

So even, again, just saying the name adoption option and foster care and become a foster parent.

It makes all the difference in the world.

Thank you.

And I know we had some more statistics to share here when it came to the Latino population.

You know, I want to say the Great Lakes Bay region, but you do serve several areas.

So what more information could you share with us?

So I would like to share that the AIH, the Advance In-Home program, we served, 12 adults and 25 youth for the PACT, which is the Parents and Children Together program.

We started five adults and seven youth and YIT, Youth In Transition.

We serve two youth and we don't have any mentors.

Okay.

So if we have someone who is watching and tuning in and says, hey, this is my calling, I need to be here, I need to go to Adoption Option.

I need to give you guys a call.

How can they get a hold of you?

Several different ways.

So you can always visit our website any time.

At Adoption Option Inc.org.

You can always call our office at (989)839-0534.

Or you can reach out to us by email, specifically for the foster care program.

You can reach out to Foster Parent at AOICW.org Awesome.

Well thank you.

I appreciate you both coming on and sharing all of this information for us.

And, we hope to help assist in the best way we can through our community.

Listeners.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Thank you for having us.

You can contact Adoption Option at (989)839-0534.

Or visit them at 4008 West Wackerly Street in Midland.

Thank you for tuning in.