Teenagers in the U.S. are not adopted as often as younger children, with only 5 percent of kids between 15 and 18 years old finding their forever homes in 2017, according to AdoptUSKids.
The Ad Council, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Adopt US Kids are teaming up for their 15th year ahead of National Adoption Month in November to help children across the country find their homes, with a special focus on teens.
About one in five children in the U.S. foster care system waiting to be adopted right now are teens, and about 43 percent of the youth actively photo-listed on AdoptUSKids.org are between the ages of 15 and 18 years old.
In the new PSAs, created by Barbarian, viewers can watch actual stories from adoptive families to see the rewarding experiences that come with adopting a teenager.
Since AdoptUSKids began in 2003, about 30,000 children listed on the site have found permanent families. However, the number of children in the U.S. foster care system has increased for the fifth consecutive year, and finding families for older teens is especially critical. Recent research states that teens that age out of the foster care system at 18 - or 21 depending upon the state - face greater challenges and risks in life.