OCFS to Hold Adoption Program in Central New York

Event Features ‘Reel’ Kids Videos by Le Moyne College

ALBANY, NY (06/04/2007)(readMedia)-- The New York State Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS), Syracuse Regional Office, will host “Reel” Kids, a special multimedia open house, to help find homes for children awaiting adoption. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at the Holiday Inn - Liverpool, at Thruway Exit 37.

The event will feature video clips of 35 children currently in the foster care system who are available for adoption. On the videos, created by Le Moyne College’s communication department, children and adolescents share their thoughts in the hope of finding an adoptive family.

In addition to Le Moyne College, area foster care and adoption agencies are partnering with OCFS on this event. It is free and open to all persons interested in adopting a child, and walk-ins are welcome. There will be information sessions on adoption-related topics throughout the day, and professionals will be available to answer questions about adoption and foster care. A Heart Gallery exhibit, featuring professional portraits of children who are waiting to be adopted, will be on display.

Today, there are more than 500,000 foster care children in the United States, and 118,000 of them are available for adoption. In New York State, there are nearly 28,000 children in foster care, including nearly 4,000 who are available for adoption. This figure includes 120 children in Central New York who are growing up without a family of their own.

The “Reel” Kids event runs on the heels of National Foster Care Month in May and aims to increase the number of families willing to consider foster care and adoption. A larger pool of foster and adoptive families increases the chances of matching children with a family for them. Contact your local department of social services for additional information on foster care and adoption. People interested in attending or getting more information about the June 9 program are asked to call the OCFS Syracuse Regional Office at 315-423-1200.