SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah non-profit is looking for 15 families who are willing to host orphaned children from South America at their homes this summer.
RODS Heroes has been inspiring Utah families to adopt children for almost ten years. They’re not an adoption agency, but they help raise money for families who plan to do it.
When the organization was founded, it solely focused on adoptions of children with down syndrome from foreign countries. In 2022, they expanded their mission to youth of all abilities, according to Brady and Andrea Murray, the non-profit’s founders.
In July 2022, the group traveled to Colombia to meet children who need families.
“While we were down there, it was a bit overwhelming to consider the magnitude of what we were seeing. There’s over 4,000 children that’re eligible for adoption in the country of Columbia,” explains Brady. “We were just feeling that weight. We wanted to help these children in any way we possibly could.”
That served as motivation to introduce a hosting program to the Beehive State. The Murrays learned about Colombia’s program while visiting.
For three weeks, a Utah family will host a child 12 -15 years -old. Brady says they selected older children for the hosting program because they’re on the cusp of becoming ineligible for adoption in Columbia, which happens at age 16. Once they age out, boys and girls will become more susceptible to issues like homelessness, incarceration, and drug addiction.
Brady says more than 60 percent of those eligible for adoption in Colombia are 12 -15 years-old.
“It's such a sacred experience, a special experience. It feels like something that was meant to be for a very long time,” explains Brady about their personal experience with adoption.
The Savage family of Alpine is planning to participate in the hosting program this summer.
Jamie and Trent say they’ve talked about adoption over the years and are looking forward to adding another family member to their household in just a few months.
“We think that it will present some interesting challenges for us. We're nervous about it, but we're really excited about it,” says Trent.
After three weeks, all children will return to Colombia with their chaperones. The non-profit says people are not committed to adopting a child if they go through the host program. However, RODS Heroes reports that 85 to 90 percent of host families end up adopting.
If interested, click here to learn about eligibility and costs waived.
Madison Adoption Agency and the Country of Colombia will make decisions on a family’s eligibility and child placement.
