But Rachel's presence in it, after her recent bereavement, operated as a check on the gaieties of her cousins, the Miss Ablewhites--and she herself requested that her visit might be deferred to a more favourable opportunity.
As of March of last year, there were more than 6,000 Iowa children in foster care and there is a need for more families willing to open their homes. An eastern Iowa group is on an active search for people wanting to be foster parents. Iowa KidsNet is a group of six agencies dedicated to helping foster and adoptive parents. The branch in Scott County has 62 foster families but more than 100 children are looking for a place to stay. The greatest need is for families willing to take teenagers and sibling groups.
The United States foster care system enables adults to care for minor children who are not able to live with their biological parents. In fiscal year 2000, 150,703 foster children were adopted in the United States, many by their foster parents or relatives of their biological parents. The enactment of the Adoption and Safe Families Act in 1997 has approximately doubled the number of children adopted from foster care in the United States.