One look at her earrings and you’ll see that Stefany is creative at heart. At 15 years-old, she loves making quirky jewelry. Her creativity doesn’t stop there, however. Pottery and painting are a few more of her favorite hobbies that fuel her dreams for the future.

Stefany is driven, with hopes to graduate early from high school so she can start college and study interior design or fashion. Not afraid to ask for help, she is eager to learn and connect with people.

Stefany is also in foster care. She hopes to be adopted into a loving family like her sister was two years ago. Stefany empathizes with the challenges of foster care and its effects on children. One day when she builds her own family, she aspires to adopt.

In the U.S., Stefany is just one of the 437,000 children in foster care on a given day. According to the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, 69,000 of those kids do not live in a family environment. Instead, they live in places like group homes and institutions.

For many kids, foster care is not short-term. The average child in foster care spends four years in the system before being adopted or aging out. Four years is a long time to live without a place to call home or consistent people to call family.

Like Stefany, Greg wants a family to call his own. His hopes are simple: a mom and dad, siblings, and a dog in a safe, loving environment. Eleven-year-old Greg enjoys the outdoors. Whether playing sports, camping, or just having fun, he wants to live a happy, active life with a family.

Dedicated to lifelong support for families and children, Adoptions Together in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia believes that every individual deserves support in their journey and a family to love them. Their services reach beyond the Potomac region as they serve families across the country.

Stefany and Greg are two of the children currently waiting for families in the Adoptions Together Heart Gallery. The Heart Gallery is full of photos and information about dozens of children waiting for their own families. NBC4 also highlights children each month in their Finding Families series.

If you’re interested to learn more about Stefany and Greg or any of the kids waiting for a home, Adoptions Together (adoptionstogther.org) is a great resource. No matter where you are on your adoption journey, you can help children like Stefany and Greg find the family they long for.