Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good

Please enter your name, email and zip code below to sign up!

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a valid zip code

Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good

Please enter your name, email and zip code below to sign up!

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a valid zip code
Volunteer in this Community
Ways we help in this Community
Donate to this Community
Hear More from this Community

Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good

Please enter your name, email and zip code below to sign up!

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a valid zip code
Teen Foster Care & Adoption Image

Teen Foster Care & Adoption

Every teenager deserves a safe, nurturing place to call home.

It’s no secret that Pennsylvania’s child welfare system is overwhelmed. Thousands of children are waiting for foster and adoption placement, a majority of them being teenagers. While most families are open to welcoming younger children into their homes, more are needed to house children aged 13 and older - the desire does not match the need. 

We understand there are beliefs and fears surrounding teen foster and adoption. Some of the main concerns we hear are: 

If these are thoughts you’ve had or share, you’re not alone. Let us offer a different perspective and some additional information about fostering or adopting a teenager: 

  • There is nothing wrong with desiring to foster/adopt a baby; many first-time parents want this, especially those who struggle with infertility or infant loss. However, babies make up only a tiny percentage of the children in foster care needing loving homes, while the vast majority are older children and teens
  • Many teens seeking foster families did not grow up in a nurturing environment with loving parents and are still seeking that today
  • Parents fostering teens can fulfill their desire to nurture, just like they would an infant, through a bond with a teenager
     
  • The average annual cost of raising a child is $12,000 - $14,000; teens are no different (rather than diapers, it’s cell phone bills; not formula, but groceries to fill the pantry)
  • Parents fostering teens receive more monthly support to help offset costs like housing, clothing, allowance, activities, medical insurance, and other common expenses
  • While you need to be self-supported, you don’t need to be wealthy or even a homeowner to provide a loving home for a teen
  • Teens don’t need constant supervision like babies/infants; they typically like to sleep in
  • Teens are seeking independence in a loving environment
  • Communication is key, and there are many options/technologies to connect with teenagers
     
  • Many people think that by adopting a very young child, they will avoid the effects of trauma in later years, but even children who are adopted at a young age have had trauma and will need support to manage the effects of it throughout their lives
  • Grief and loss are at the core of the foster system, whether you are the child or the parent/family
  • Foster teens may be better able to articulate some of these feelings
  • Many parents are concerned about this, whether first-time parents, singles, families with other children
  • You will receive training and support to help you provide the best care for the children placed with you
  • The truth is none of us have everything to be what we need to be as parents; it takes a village
  • Teens need someone to listen to them, to show them their worth, to teach them to make good decisions, and to celebrate their accomplishments. Parenting experience isn’t required to do any of those things

At The Salvation Army, we seek to give all children a bright future, and to do so, we offer parents the resources they need to feel supported in their teen foster and adoption journeys. 

Just as you’re not alone in your fears about fostering or adopting a teenager, you’re not alone in the process. When you work with our team at The Salvation Army, we are here every step of the way, helping our resource families with:

For over 30 years, The Salvation Army Children's Services: Foster Care and Adoption Program has connected children in the Lehigh Valley and Southeast Pennsylvania with safe, caring homes to help them heal and thrive.

We serve children and families in Pennsylvania within a 50-mile radius of Allentown, PA. With office locations in Allentown, PA and Souderton, PA, we are ranked in the top 5% of children’s service agencies monitored by the State of Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Learn more about us here. 

Help guide a teenager into adulthood

No parent is perfect. No teen is perfect. Most teenagers are looking for a place to call home and someone who’ll be in their corner. If you are willing to provide stability and love to a teenager in need, we can help you do it.

Connect with a Salvation Army team member