+
upworthy

Melissa Hart

Photo courtesy of Matthew Straeb of the Sarasota Heart Gallery.

In a newspaper portrait from last May, Becca Eldredge flashes a delighted smile as she stands beside her husband and son and their newly-adopted 13-year-old daughter outside their Florida home. The teen girl a floral dress and a tiara and holds a small marquee that reads After 1,783 days in foster care, today I was adopted.

"There are so many children who need a home and love," Eldredge says. "My daughter has brought so much joy and fun into our house."

Over 400,000 children across the U.S. currently live in foster care, due in large part to the country's opioid crisis. More than 120,000 of these kids have been permanently relinquished by birth parents; they often wait years for adoptive families and a stable home. Many age out of the system without either, leaving them vulnerable to poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse. But Familyfinder--a new Florida-based digital program relying on targeted advertising--may change all that.


Keep ReadingShow less