The WNC Foster/Adopt Fall Festival

Jacob, age 16, cleared for adoption with no home identified.

This year’s Foster/Adopt Fall Festival will be held at the Coleman Place – which is upstairs at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce – on Saturday, November 15 from 3 to 6 p.m. The event is hosted by the Buncombe County Department of Social Services and WNC foster care agencies.

This fun, free event focuses on increasing community awareness of all the multitude of ways in which people can help kids – including foster care, adoption, therapeutic respite, mentoring, sponsoring, etc. Anyone who wants to work for or with children is bound to have a good time!

Of course, there is still a strong emphasis on finding foster and adoptive homes. But by inviting both the general public and the participating agencies to interact, network, and learn from each other, we hope that there will be an overall increase in understanding of how we can all help children – whether it’s through adoption, fostering, supporting, or one’s choice of careers. It is through this sort of community collaboration that the children have the best hope of finding themselves supported by loving and understanding foster/adoptive homes and by quality services.

Popular sections of the Foster/Adopt Fall Festival

The main “General Information” area, where agencies from across WNC
will set up tables and provide lots of information about becoming a
foster or adoptive parent. Many of the tables will offer sweets or
other free giveaways.

An area of “Child-Specific Recruitment,” where people can learn more
about the children who are currently needing adoptive homes. This area
will feature the children’s photos and profiles, and their social
workers will also be in attendance to speak with families directly.
An opportunity to “Talk to a Family Right Here,” a popular section that
is staffed by foster and adoptive parents so that people can talk to a
family about what the experience is like.

And, of course, a fun “Kids Area,” complete with arts and crafts, face painting, music, and more.

We hope that this will be a way for people interested in adoption to
learn more, have their questions answered, and possibly even learn
about a child who belongs in their heart and their home. Admission and
parking are FREE!

Erica Jourdan, Recruitment Specialist, Buncombe County DSS, (828) 250-5513, [email protected]