Adoption Awareness Month: LAS is Now Legacy Adoption Services
TROY, Mich. – The former Lutheran Adoption Service (LAS) agency is celebrating its 45th Anniversary this month as Legacy Adoption Services (LAS). This rebrand features a new blue and green-themed modern look to capture the hearts and minds of business and community leaders. Partners in these sectors are critical to helping LAS recruit more people to offer permanent homes, "forever homes" for Michigan's foster kids.
"This is a great time for LAS. We're not only celebrating our 45th anniversary, but we're also anticipating our 10,000th adoption by the end of this year," said Rachel Sykes, Executive Director of Legacy Adoption Services (LAS). "Linking arms with like-minded agencies, faith communities, and caring individuals statewide is critical to the goal of helping every child find a family uniquely suited to meet their needs and support them through each stage toward successful adulthood."
Adoption Awareness Month
November is Adoption Awareness Month and is a reminder of the approximately 2,500 foster kids in Michigan's Foster Care system in need of adoptive parents. It's also the ideal time for caring adults to consider adopting a child or even sibling groups. Prospective parents and other advocates are encouraged to visit LASAdoption.org to explore the process.
They can also spread the word about the need for more adoptive parents by reposting the stories in this guide. Stories about the joys of adopting can be found on social media channels under the hashtag #NationalAdoptionMonth.
Foster Care Versus Adoption
LAS specializes in the placement of children from Michigan's foster care system who cannot be raised by their birth parents. The agency is committed to growing and meeting the expanding needs of the children and families it serves. Foster care is meant to be temporary. Adoption or adoptive placement is meant to be permanent. Children in foster homes can be there for several days, weeks, or months – perhaps even a year or longer – while birth parents are working to resolve the issues that brought the children into care in the first place. Sometimes, children are unable to return home; it is then that the court terminates parental rights, and the child becomes available for adoption. Adoptive parents become the child's legal parent. Their lifelong commitment and responsibility are no less important than if the child was born to them.
"Our legacy of faith and service propels us to be responsive, caring, and innovative in our approach to building families," said Sykes. "We pride ourselves on delivering a sense of love, belonging, and the stability of a permanent family that gives each child a chance to build a legacy of their own."
There is little or no cost to adopt children through LAS from Michigan's foster care system.
About Legacy Adoption Services
Legacy Adoption Services (LAS) is Michigan's largest private provider of adoptions, placing almost 10,000 foster children into safe, loving, adoptive homes since 1977.
Legacy Adoption Services is the adoption affiliate of Samaritas and Wellspring Lutheran Services. Both agencies handled adoptions individually in Michigan for many years. The agencies agreed to join forces to provide more loving, forever homes for children in foster care who needed permanent placement. Contact the organization at (833) 761-0667 or by email at [email protected]. Learn more at https://www.lasadoption.org.