TO THE EDITOR:

There are currently 523,000 children in the public child welfare system in the United States. Of these, almost 118,000 are waiting for adoptive homes. As of Sept. 15, 2005, in Minnesota, there are 1,473 children under state guardianship, out of these 564 children are in need of adoptive homes immediately.

Currently in Chisago County there are 82 children in foster care and 21 children waiting for permanent adoptive homes.

Many of these children have spent most of their lives in this ìtemporaryî situation, and have moved within the child welfare system numerous times.
These are very real children who desperately need families of their own.

Because the public is so often unaware of these kids and their needs, the Citizen Review Panel members wanted to bring this to the attention of residents in Chisago County during National Adoption Awareness Month in hopes that we can unite many of these young people with permanent, adoptive parents.

If you are interested in being a foster care parent in our county or for more information on adopting, call Chisago County Health and Human Services at (651) 213-0324 or visit www.mnadopt.org on adopting Minnesota children.
If you are interested in the well being of children in Chisago County and interested in being on the Chisago County Citizen Review Panel, please contact me at (651) 215-1284.

Shellene Johnson,
chairperson
Chisago County Citizen Review Panel

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