 Teens awaiting adoption and foster parents in Jackson County were photographed Saturday, Jan. 25, at Western Carolina University in preparation for a regional campaign to find more local adoptive and foster families. Photographer Benjamin Porter takes a picture of (from left) Sarah, Thomas and Heather.
"I want a foster family in Sylva so I can come back to my hometown and graduate from Smoky Mountain High School," said Sarah, one of the children photographed and interviewed this past Saturday during a photo shoot for Jackson County Department of Social Services. Sarah is one of three children from Jackson County living in foster care photographed and interviewed to develop a regional campaign to recruit more adoptive and foster families in Jackson County. The children's' photographs and voice interviews will be used in campaign materials, such as radio public service announcements, brochures, newspaper ads and other materials. For the most part, the children awaiting adoption remain invisible; this campaign is designed to give the children a voice and a face to introduce them into their community, according to DSS Director Bob Cochran. "We are very excited about this campaign and what it could mean to the children in our area," said DSS social worker Mary Derks. "We urgently need more foster and adoptive families in Jackson County so our kids don't have to leave their hometown community when they enter foster care." Sarah and Heather are high school students currently living in another county. They say they want to come home to Jackson County so they can graduate from their hometown high school. Two foster families in the Sylva area are needed for these girls. Thomas is 13 and wants to be adopted. An honor roll student, Thomas loves carpentry, animals and reading the Harry Potter books. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent or adoptive parent to one of these children or any school-age child in Jackson County, contact Derks at 586-5546, Ext. 232. The public awareness campaign for Jackson County is part of a collaborative effort among many agencies, including Jackson, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Smoky Mountain Center and Mountain Youth Resources. |