PATH, INC. AWARDED UP TO $2 MILLION FOR RURAL ADOPTION PROGRAM

ST. PAUL, MINN. (Nov. 4, 2003) – Many rural families may consider adoption, but find it difficult to find the local resources to grow their families. Approximately 1,000 youth from rural areas in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin are waiting for adoptive families. The Children’s Bureau (Department of Health and Human Services) recently awarded PATH, Inc. a nationally competitive $2 million federal grant to help families in rural communities find and adopt special needs children. PATH’s new program is a Special Parents Adoption Network (SPAN) Program.

“ PATH is very excited about this opportunity to help recruit, prepare and support adoptive parents across the rural areas of Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin,” said PATH’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Plant. “We will be working with our three state network of licensed foster and adoptive parents as well as our professional social work staff in our 28 offices to assure that these waiting children find prepared, loving, permanent families to care for and nurture them.”

The SPAN Program will increase the accessibility of adoptions and support services in rural communities throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. The program will also help increase special needs adoptions in rural areas through recruitment and outreach. Children characterized as having special needs might include those that have physical or emotional challenges, have experienced multiple placements or are part of a sibling group. The SPAN program will surpass just simply placing the youth by providing these waiting youth with permanency and stability.

The new rural adoption awareness program will provide training and special education programs for adoptive families. The program will help rural adoptive parents, who are so often isolated by geography, by providing access to web adoption resources. SPAN will reach out to Native American and other communities of color in rural areas. PATH, along with rural communities will help develop strong adoption resources so that adoptive parents do not feel alone.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services received a grant to increase adoption of older adolescents and the University of Minnesota received a grant to provide child welfare training to Native Americans and also monitor outcome evaluation in child welfare.
PATH, Inc. Organization Background Information

PATH Inc. was founded in Minnesota in 1972 by a group of committed and innovative foster parents who saw a need for a more specialized and personal approach to foster care. The organization has provided personalized care to more than 20,000 children since 1972. Every day, PATH serves nearly 1,000 children in foster care, and provides 250 children and their families with adoption and family preservation services.