More than 1,400 children are currently in foster care in Pennsylvania, and over 200 children in just Erie County alone are waiting for the chance to find a permanent home.
This November National adoption month highlights the urgent need to connect these children with loving families.
Saturday is World Adoption Day, fostering agencies and advocates across the world are raising awareness about the life-changing impact of adoption.
Local Erie resident Kelsey Applebee, a social worker who, along with her partner, decided to adopt six-year-old Christiana and two-year-old Kaesyn, who have spent most of their lives in foster care.
Kelsey Applebee said, "I knew immediately it was for us, and she was family, whether she was with us or not. This has impacted every aspect of our lives in all the best ways. There is really no downside to it, in my opinion. They are so loved and so cherished by my extended family and by us. We live to give them the life they have always deserved."
For more information on fostering and adoption, you can visit https://www.Bair.Org/.