Local kids in foster care are placed in loving homes

Lindsey Ritter walked into the Santa Cruz County Superior Court as a foster parent and officially left as a mom.

“When I got Teo as a little man I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to adopt him,” said Ritter.

A single parent, she and 11-month-old Teo are one of 21 families finalizing adoptions for kids.

The judge says the kids have been neglected or abused and were in need of a place to call home.

“To have it signed, certified, legal is just this huge blessing,” said Ritter. “I feel like the luckiest person in the world right now.”

Officials say at any given moment there are 250 kids in foster care in Santa Cruz County needing anything from temporary housing to forever homes.

“The need is great,” said Judge Rebecca Connolly. “If there is one more child that we can place with a family that’s one more child who has a greater likelihood of succeeding and becoming healthy contributing member of our society.”

Kids five and up have the greatest need.

The county says sometimes there’s a stigma associated with that age group, citing misconceptions over social problems or addictions.

While that makes them harder to adopt, those concerns aren’t always accurate.

“The majority of our kids that come into our care, they’re regular kids who have persevered through some really rough circumstances and would do great in a loving, caring home,” said Trevor Davis with the County of Santa Cruz Human Services Department.