PA Lt. Gov. Cawley Shares Family Adoption Story

National Adoption Month may be behind us, but Pennsylvania's children and youth deserve a permanent, loving home every day of the year.  On November 30, Harrisburg ABC News affiliate WHTM featured a story about Nick, the adopted son of Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley and his wife, Suzanne.  The Cawleys first met Nick when he was temporarily placed in foster care with a family friend. They decided to become licensed foster parents themselves with the goal of adoption.  

Nick’s story highlights the importance of placing foster children in family settings rather than institutions or group homes (often referred to as congregate care).  Foster placement in a family setting increases a child’s chances of moving out of foster care into a permanent family and reduces the child's likelihood of re-entering the foster care system.  Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children’s newly released State of Child Welfare report shows that Pennsylvania is reducing its reliance on institutional settings by placing children with foster parents such as the Cawleys.  

You can watch the full interview on the Cawley family at http://www.abc27.com/video?clipId=6507013&autostart=true