Adoption party held in Westfield

WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Hundreds of Western Massachusetts foster children are waiting to be adopted.

Kimberly is in foster care. She was one of dozens of children who attended the Westfield Adoption Party put on by the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange.

She told 22News, “I think there's a chance you can hopefully find the right family to adopt you, you meet people, it's cool.”

Erin Smith of West Springfield is one of the many parents who wanted to get to meet the foster children. Erin told 22News adoption has worked well for her family.

Smith said, “I always wanted to be a parent. I come from a family of six children and when I was almost forty, I knew I wanted to have a child.”

These couples hope to have the same positive experience. We're told the chances are good that at least some of these children will go from foster care into a permanent home.

Bridget Chiarudeini, from the Mass. Adoption Resource Exchange, said, ”The reason we do these parties so regularly, is because they work. People sometimes cringe at the idea to have waiting kids come and meet all the folks, But the reality is they work like any other human relationships.”

School-age children and those with special needs are usually the boys and girls who have to wait longest to be adopted.