When Bobby and Sarah Finn discussed the all-important topic of having children, they decided they wanted to adopt.
To learn more about foster care and adopting, the couple attended the Children's Home Society's adoption orientation on Monday night in downtown Gainesville.
There are a lot of children that don't have a good home and deserve one, Bobby Finn said.
Although Children's Home Society handles international adoption, private adoption and foster care, the mid-Florida division, which includes Alachua County, only provides foster care adoption services.
Six people attended the meeting led by dependency specialist Amy Mills.
Mills said the orientation is the first step in becoming an adoptive parent. After orientation, families must complete a pre-service training class and participate in a home study before being approved and matched with a child.
Last year, 187 children were adopted in the mid-Florida division.
Jennifer Anchors, an executive director of the mid-Florida division, said that while 150 to 200 children are adopted per year on average, more children are entering the system.
Anchors said the rise is a result of multiple factors, including the economy.
When people are struggling financially and do not properly know how to cope, children are more often abused and neglected, she said.
Mills said she expects the numbers to continue to increase.
Although people may face more financial obstacles, more families are looking to adopt, said Anchors.
She said the growth is due to enhanced public knowledge on adoption and expects the boost to continue. For example, the belief is being dispelled that all forms of adoption are expensive.
Although private and international adoption are costly, Mills said that foster care adoption doesn't cost anything.
The state covers the expenses, Mills said.
