AACO Foster Adoptive Parenting

04/16/2026

Skin tones may not match, but our hearts beat to the exact same rhythm. To anyone sitting on the fence about transracial adoption: Love doesn't require a biological blueprint—it just requires a soul that’s ready to say "yes."

04/01/2026

Thank you Steve's Weather Page for making a post on our behalf! We are always in need of more foster parents to help weather the storm and be a safe shelter for youth in care.

03/09/2026

Happy Social Work Month! We wanted to bring back a blast from the past. Years ago our very own foster families who adopted from foster care created a video to show their thanks and appreciation for the social workers in their life. We are honored to work with these amazing families and children everyday! Thank you to the families who took it upon themselves to come together and create this video for us.

Thank You to the Social Workers of Anne Arundel County Maryland

01/07/2026

https://blog.adoptuskids.org/foster-and-adoptive-mom-of-15-years-teens-are-great/

Find out more about becoming a foster parent in Anne Arundel County https://annearundelfostercare.com

Melissa is the adoptive mother of three children and continues to foster many more. Here's her advice.

11/20/2025

November is National Adoption Month. We’re celebrating the children and families in our community whose lives are growing through adoption. Every child deserves a safe and loving, forever family. We are so grateful for those who open their homes and hearts. To learn more, visit our website: https://annearundelfostercare.com/

11/10/2025

Join us in spreading joy this holiday season! The Holidays of Hope initiative, led by the Anne Arundel County Foster Parent Association (AACFPA), gives children in foster care the chance to create wish lists and receive gifts from our generous community. You can help make their wishes come true by participating today! For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/AAFosterCare or scan the QR code on the flyer.

11/07/2025

Did you know the Savannah Bananas baseball team as a program called "Banana's Foster" to help bring light into the need for foster parenting?
"One of the most powerful moments of every Banana Ball game. So proud to honor these heroic foster families every night. Seeing the joy on the kids faces as they run onto the field and seeing the sold out crowds give a standing ovation is beyond moving.

We’ve got a lot of work to do to help the 400,000 kids who don’t have a permanent home in our country, but we know we can get there… it just starts with one family at a time!"

When we became licensed foster parents in 2020, we didn’t know what to expect. We just knew that there was a huge need with 400,000 kids in the US alone with...

10/16/2025

Every foster parent makes a lasting difference. Learn more here: https://annearundelfostercare.com/foster-care-in-aaco

When I met him six years ago, my heart both expanded & shattered.

As much love as I felt for him that first day, it also broke my heart. Because while we were opening our door to him, his world had just fallen apart. While we were signing paperwork with the caseworker, his tiny little body was experiencing trauma & loss. & while we prepared a room for him, everything he knew was changing.

For almost two years, we loved him like he’d never leave knowing that any day he would. Because for whatever time we had, we were going to stand in the gap; fully & completely, without holding anything back.

Saying goodbye to him was the hardest one for me. Harder than I ever imagined. Even though it was the best kind of ending as he reunified with his family, the joy I felt for them didn’t erase the ache of his absence from us.

I still think of him often. I still catch myself tearing up sometimes, knowing I’ll likely never see him again.

But that pain I feel? It means I loved him the way he deserved to be loved, & I could never regret that.

This life we live is a constant dance between beauty & brokenness.

But it’s right where I’ll always choose to be.

10/02/2025

New Month = Strong Families 🍂
Find out more about becoming a foster parent in Anne Arundel County https://annearundelfostercare.com

09/25/2025

Celebrating kinship strength

💜 Kinship families have powerful strengths. Their deep bonds, cultural ties, and resilience help children feel safe, stable, and seen.

With the right support, kin caregivers raise children with better mental health outcomes, stronger senses of identity, and lasting feelings of belonging – outcomes that outpace those of children placed in non-kin foster homes.

09/16/2025

Find out more about becoming a foster parent in Anne Arundel County: https://annearundelfostercare.com

More than 1 in 5 children in foster care are Hispanic. 🌎

But too often, they’re placed in homes that don’t reflect their language, traditions, or culture. Not because families don’t care, but because we need more Hispanic and bilingual foster families.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we invite you to be part of the change.
✨ Learn what it takes to become a foster parent
🏡 Support culturally connected care in any way you can
📣 Share this message to help raise awareness

09/05/2025

September is Kinship Care Awareness Month

Kinship care is when grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, or close family friends step in to care for children when their parents are unable to do so. These caregivers provide love, stability, and belonging at a time when children need it most.

Unlike traditional foster care, kinship care helps children stay connected to their roots—preserving family bonds, cultural traditions, and community ties. It means children don’t have to face the additional loss of being placed with strangers, and instead can find safety and stability with people they already know and trust.

Kinship caregivers often take on this responsibility suddenly, with little time to prepare, and many do so without the same level of support or resources available to foster families. Yet, their commitment makes a lasting difference in a child’s life.

This month, we honor and thank kinship caregivers everywhere. Their selfless love, resilience, and sacrifice ensure children grow up surrounded by care and connection.

Join us in raising awareness for Kinship Care Awareness Month by sharing this message, supporting kinship families, and helping us advocate for more resources to strengthen them.