Baugh is president and co-founder of Kidsave, an organization that pairs older orphaned children with adults from Washington and abroad, either in the form of adoption, mentoring or some other kind of permanent relationship that can be developed through weekend visitation and other programs. Baugh has three adopted children from Russia, ages 16, 14 and 12.
How do you pair older children with potential parents?
We do that by giving kids visits with local families. Once a family gets to know a child, they can begin to see how a child would fit into their families.
How old are the children seeking adoption?
The age range is about 7 or 8 to age 21.
How do these kids end up without families?
Most are taken from their families, usually because of neglect or abuse.
Where are the kids living now?
They live in orphanages overseas. Some live in foster care overseas and many live in foster care here in D.C. as well as Los Angeles. Some of the kids are also living in residential treatment facilities and group homes.
How hard it is to place older kids?
Placing older kids is definitely harder than placing babies, because nobody is thinking they want to adopt a teenager. But, once people meet these kids, they can see how great these kids really are. …
How many older kids are without parents in D.C.?
There are more than 250 kids in foster care in D.C. with a goal of adoption and no families stepping up to help them. There are also about 1,000 kids who might not have a goal of adoption, that are trying to find some kind of connection with an adult, who are in foster care or group homes.
What is the hardest part of your job?
Keeping the program funded is challenging, but even more difficulty is seeing kids who need a connection so bad and just understanding the sadness that has been in their lives because they have not had a family to stand by them.
– Susan Ferrechio
