Children in the foster care system continue to need placements, meaning there’s a need for foster parents. 

As National Foster Care Month wraps up, a New York family that recently adopted one of their foster children discussed how rewarding the role is.

Stephen and Vanessa Sumnick of Port Jervis have welcomed children into their home for some time now, first through exchange programs before eventually becoming foster parents.

“Knowing that we're able to help the youth is really, we feel like we're accomplishing, you know, our calling,” Stephen Sumnick said.

The Sumnick’s first began doing respite care, meaning they provided short-term care to foster children to assist other foster parents.

“It is painful to say goodbye. It is painful to hear a story of what a child's going through and to walk through that with them, but it's worth it for their benefit. And oftentimes, we think more of our benefit, and sometimes that just doesn't matter,” Vanessa Sumnick said.

The day after Christmas in 2019, a five-week-old baby, Russell, came into their home and became the family’s first long-term foster child.

“It was an immediate, like an immediate joy, and he fit immediately,” Stephen Sumnick said.

“Yeah, he definitely stole our hearts,” Vanessa Sumnick added.

One week led to a few months, and four-and-a-half years later, the Sumnick’s were asked if they’d like to adopt Russell.

After discussing it with their four biological children, the family welcomed the young boy with open arms.

“I was super excited about it. He's great. When he's in our family, he feels like part of our family, and it’d just be like, so weird for him to not be with us,” said 18-year-old Joshua Sumnick.

“I couldn't imagine our family without Russell,” added 19-year-old Chloe Sumnick.

Russell was one of many children in need of a place to call home.

It can be difficult to know exactly how many children are in foster care, but the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS) estimates approximately 391,000 children are in the system.

That's according to their most recent report in 2021. In New York, that data shows 14,657 children are in out-of-home placements, and there are 10,925 licensed foster homes.

The now four-and-a-half-year-old is grateful the Sumnick’s adopted him into their family.

“They love me,” Russell Sumnick said.

“I think that all of our children experience the love that we have to share with them, and that helps any person to grow,” Vanessa Sumnick said.

The Sumnicks continue to take in foster children and encourage others to consider becoming foster parents so as to be able to help kids in need of a family.