When it comes to adoption, people often think of infants first, but one Alabama father is actively changing some misconceptions about adopting older teens by sharing his own experience.

More than 113,000 foster children are in need of a permanent home nationwide, and nearly half are over age eight.

Joe Toles, an adoptive parent and former foster child, understands the significance of support. He credited a college track coach for mentoring him and helping him succeed. Inspired by his experience, Toles went on to adopt and support eight boys, all teenagers.

He now shares his story as a compelling example of why more people should consider adopting older kids.

"The first thing people have to do is make the effort," Toles asserted. "I think that there's a lot of stigma about older teens. And you know, what I always say about my boys is, they came to me 'half-baked,' so I really can't undo the recipe! I just have to, you know, continue 'baking' them."

Toles emphasized establishing a strong bond and a reliable support system beyond the age of 18 has transformed the lives of his sons and himself. With 6,000 Alabama children in need of a permanent home, he highlighted the importance of education in dispelling myths about adopting older teens.

Rita Soronen, CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, agreed educating parents is the first step to changing the outcomes for the nearly 20,000 teens who face "aging out" of the foster care system each year.

She said too many people assume a teenager would be harder to connect with, when it is not the case. Her organization helps adoptive parents bridge those gaps, and she noted in the process, they may also be preventing homelessness, and minimizing a young person's chances of engaging with the justice system.

"When we adopt an older youth from foster care, we keep them from first, 'aging out' without a family," Soronen emphasized. "And second, we begin to mitigate those potential negative consequences of trying to live without a family at age 18 or 19, or 20."

Soronen believes sharing success stories like Joe Toles and his eight boys can make a difference and inspire more people to adopt.

January is National Mentoring Month, and organizations like MENTOR Indiana are making a difference in young lives.

MENTOR Indiana is part of the Indiana Youth Institute. For nearly 20 years, it has connected young Hoosiers with caring adults.

Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the institute, said mentoring changes lives and there is research to prove it.

"When a young person has a mentor, they're 55% more likely to enroll in college, 78% more likely to volunteer in their home communities and they're twice as likely to hold a leadership position," Silverman outlined.

She pointed out their work ensures young people get the support they need to succeed. Despite the benefits, one in three young people lacks a mentor outside their family. Silverman stressed the gap leaves millions without the guidance they need to thrive.

To help close the gap, MENTOR Indiana follows proven practices to build strong and lasting mentor-mentee relationships. The organization partners with schools, nonprofits and community groups to meet the diverse needs of Indiana youth.

"That can translate into helping them talk through difficult things in their own life," Silverman added. "Whether that's friends' interactions or school, or trying to find work or thinking about what they want to do when they grow up."

She emphasized their efforts also address broader challenges like education gaps, mental health struggles, and community violence.


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Changes to Indiana's child labor laws went into effect Jan. 1 which could affect teens who have or are looking for jobs.

Employers are now no longer required to schedule around a teen's school hours or adhere to daily and weekly hour limits. For example, 16- and 17-year-olds no longer need parental permission to work longer or later, and an adult no longer has to be present at public establishments when juveniles work past 10 p.m.

Germaine Willett, an employment law attorney at the firm Ice Miller in Indianapolis, sees the changes as less administrative burden for employers who hire teens.

"What could be small violations, just a few minutes over a shift, for example, to not have employers be so constrained as they were to get workers ages 16 and 17 out the door exactly at the prior hour's limits," Willett outlined.

Willett noted now, a student has to self-advocate if a time conflict arises between an employer's work schedule request and their school hours. Supporters of the changes said longer hours on the job mean more money, and work better prepares them for the real world. Critics argued tighter work restrictions allow teens to focus more on their education and activities with their peers.

The modifications were made to more closely align Indiana law with federal requirements. Willett emphasized some of the biggest revisions extend exemptions to certain 14- and 15-year-olds.

"Those who have been excused from, or perhaps prohibited from, attending school under certain circumstances -- perhaps quit school after finishing 8th grade, or quit school to support their child -- those individuals would not be subjected to the same limitations, and instead be treated as if they're 16 or older," Willett explained.

Willett added it did not make sense for teens with such obligations to have the same work limits others had to follow under the old law. The Indiana Department of Labor said 14- and 15-year-olds may work until 9 p.m. on any day of the week between June 1 and Labor Day, with some exceptions.


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California has more than 60,000 children in the foster care system and about 7,000 in extended care up to age 21 but many do not receive all the services for which they are eligible.

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the Chafee Foster Care Program, passed by Congress to greatly expand services for foster youth.

Todd Lloyd, senior policy associate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said across the U.S., around a half-million people are eligible for Chafee services to help them transition from foster care.

"Of all those eligible young people, less than a quarter are receiving a service in a given year," Lloyd pointed out. "When we looked at their experiences over time, less than half have ever experienced even a single Chafee service."

Some of the services available include tutoring, mentoring and a variety of counseling supports. Extended foster care grants low-income young adults to health insurance via Medi-Cal and food benefits through CalFresh. Young adults in extended foster care may also receive financial assistance for room and board and for college expenses.

Hope Cooper, campaign manager for the advocacy group Journey to Success, a national policy reform effort focused on youth and young adults who experience foster care. She said it's a group that has enormous potential to have happy, prosperous lives.

"We have to provide the supports that they need during these critical transition years," Cooper contended. "Because they face a steep climb in their pathway to young adulthood."

Data show young adults exiting foster care run a greater risk of experiencing housing instability and homelessness, unemployment, physical and mental health issues, and more.