COMMENTARY: A lifelong commitment to connection
Every adoption story begins with hope. For my husband and me, it started with a quiet belief that somewhere out there was a child who would make our family complete. The road that followed was full of waiting, questions and quiet moments of hope — until the day everything changed.
Becoming a parent through adoption gave me a front-row view of what love, patience and community can do. It also opened my eyes to how many children are still waiting for that same chance to be seen, chosen and supported.
Today, I’ve learned that adoption isn’t a single moment. It’s a lifelong commitment to connection. It’s the steady work of building trust and belonging, one day at a time.
Across Nevada, nearly 4,000 children were in foster care as of June 30, 2023, according to the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services’ data book. More than 1,400 of those children remain waiting to be adopted, according to the Child Welfare League of America’s Nevada 2024 state fact sheet. At the same time, the number of licensed foster homes across Nevada has declined by more than 40 percent since 2018, as reported by the Nevada Current. These numbers remind us how urgent this work truly is.
That’s where organizations such as Raise the Future come in. For more than 25 years, Raise the Future has served the Las Vegas community, connecting youth in foster care with caring adults and helping families build lifelong relationships. Through programs that connect youth with mentors and prepare families for the realities of adoption, Raise the Future helps turn hope into lasting connections. Its Heart Gallery highlights youth waiting for adoption. Its family training model, built on “trust-based relational intervention,” equips caregivers to support healing from trauma. And its ongoing post-adoption services ensure that families thrive long after the paperwork is complete.
Adoption doesn’t end with a signature. That’s just where the real story begins.
This month, the city of Las Vegas officially proclaimed Hope to Adopt Day, celebrating families formed through adoption and the young people whose hope continues to drive this work forward. The proclamation, aligned with National Adoption Month, reminds us that family is a shared responsibility. It begins at home, and it is strengthened by the communities that stand behind children and caregivers.
Hope to Adopt Day isn’t just about awareness. It’s about action. It’s about neighbors who volunteer, employers who offer flexibility for new adoptive parents, and community partners who invest in organizations that make these connections possible. Every act of support, no matter how small, brings a child one step closer to stability and a sense of belonging.
When I meet families who have adopted through Raise the Future, I’m reminded that each story is unique, but the thread of hope runs through them all. Parents describe the joy of seeing a child finally feel safe. Youth talk about the relief of being loved without conditions. And our community grows stronger every time one of those stories begins.
As Las Vegas celebrates Hope to Adopt Day, my message is simple: Family is our most powerful form of hope. Whether you open your home, lend your voice or share your time, you can help ensure that every child in our city knows what it feels like to belong.
When we open our hearts, we don’t just change one life. We transform the future of our entire community.
To learn more about how you can support youth waiting in foster care or find ways to get involved, visit RaiseTheFuture.org. Together, we can ensure that every young person in Las Vegas has the opportunity to find family, belonging, and hope.
Brian Knudsen represents Ward 1 on the Las Vegas City Council and is a board member for Raise the Future, which connects youths in foster care with permanent, loving families.
