Foster parents play an important role in the lives of children from disadvantaged family backgrounds. While there were more than 200,000 foster care homes in the United States in 2020, the need for caring and adoptive families is pressing. Thankfully, many celebrities are doing their part to help communities by fostering and adopting children. In this article, we will talk about six of those celebrities, highlighting their commitment to a brighter future for children and teens.
Sia
The notoriously private and immensely talented singer Sia announced in 2020 that she had adopted two teenage boys. The two 18-year-olds were set to be removed from the foster care system before Sia adopted them. She recently revealed that one of her adopted sons recently had a child of his own, making Sia a grandmother.
Sandra Bullock
Bullock has adopted two children. The first was a boy whom she became a guardian for in 2010. More recently, in 2015, Bullock fostered and adopted a young girl from Louisiana. By the time Bullock adopted her at three years old, the girl had already been housed with three different foster care families. Bullock’s journey to adoption is a good reminder of how difficult the system can be for kids across the United States.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Although this Hollywood couple separated in 2016, they adopted two children from Ethiopia and Vietnam. Pitt and Jolie did not adopt these children directly from the foster care system, but have been generous in their charitable contributions to stateside foster programs. In 2009, the pair donated $100,000 to an innovative foster care organization called SOS Villages.
Scott Shriner
Shriner served as a foster parent for several years alongside his wife, Jillian. The bass guitarist for the band Weezer adopted his second child in 2019. The couple has continued to be outspoken about the plight of children in the American foster care system.
Nia Vardalos
Readers may know Vardalos from her role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. But did you know that she is also a foster parent? In 2008, she was paired with a three-year-old girl. She and her partner immediately fell in love with the girl and began the process to adopt her.