Elijah is 16 years old, and he wants to play in the NBA someday. He talks about football and basketball with the kind of enthusiasm that fills a room, shoots hoops whenever he gets the chance, and dreams of one day owning a Mustang. But more than any of that, Elijah says being part of a family is one of his biggest wishes.
Elijah is one of nearly 200 Michigan foster youth currently waiting for an adoptive family, according to The Detroit News, which profiled him as part of a recurring feature highlighting adoptable children across the state. He is among thousands of Michigan foster youth in the system, the paper reports, and his case is handled through the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange, known as MARE.
Those who know Elijah describe him as observant and thoughtful, someone who pays close attention to what's happening around him and checks in on the people he cares about. He builds deep bonds with people he trusts, and humor is one of his strengths. His interests run wide: card games, Nerf battles, Legos, tubing, flea markets, car shows, and golf all make his list of favorite things, the report notes.
What Elijah Hopes a Family Will Look Like
Elijah hopes for a family that genuinely enjoys spending time together — one that will take him out to dinners, bring him along on trips, and maybe even hit up an arcade now and then, according to the same profile. He wants to belong somewhere, and the small, ordinary moments of family life are exactly what he's hoping to find.
His story lands at a difficult moment for older teens in Michigan's foster system. Federal data compiled by Child Trends shows that only 6 percent of 16- to 17-year-old foster youth in Michigan have an active case plan goal of adoption, while roughly 40 percent are instead designated for emancipation or aging out of the system entirely. Nationally, the odds don't improve much with time: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 2024 AFCARS report found that only 7.9 percent of foster youth older than 12 who exit state care achieve adoption, and more than 15,000 youth nationwide age out every year without ever finding permanency.
A Shrinking Pool of Foster Homes Statewide
Elijah's search for a family is also unfolding against a backdrop of a shrinking statewide pool of caregivers. Michigan lost 1,200 licensed foster homes over a two-year span, dropping from roughly 4,000 homes in 2023 to about 2,800 by late 2025, according to Bridge Michigan. State child welfare officials have expanded orientation sessions and streamlined licensing policies to recruit new caregivers, but the outlet reports that high caregiver turnover and finalized adoptions have outpaced the approval of new homes.
The stakes of not finding a placement before adulthood are steep. Roughly 1,600 Michigan foster youth age out or emancipate each year without a permanent family, according to a report from the State of Michigan, and emancipated youth face disproportionately higher risks of immediate homelessness, lower high school completion rates, and prolonged unemployment compared with peers raised in stable homes.
Safety Nets for Teens Who Age Out
If Elijah isn't adopted before he turns 18, Michigan law offers some cushion. Under the state's Young Adult Voluntary Foster Care Act, Public Act 225 of 2011, foster youth can voluntarily remain in state care up to age 21 to receive housing support, monthly stipends, case management, and healthcare, as long as they're enrolled in school, job training, or employment. Michigan lawmakers also passed House Bill 4750 and Senate Bill 18 in July 2026, requiring at least half of a foster youth's federal benefits — such as Supplemental Security Income or Social Security — to be saved for youth age 14 and older rather than absorbed by the state for care costs, a reform Hoodline covered in its report on foster kids keeping their own money.
Families who do finalize an adoption of a foster child designated with special needs can also access financial support, including monthly state adoption subsidies, medical subsidies, up to $2,000 in non-recurring expense reimbursements, and federal adoption tax credits worth up to $17,280 per child, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
The Statewide Effort to Find Him a Home
The Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange operates statewide as a program of Judson Center, maintaining the central photo listing registry of waiting foster youth and working to ensure eligible children have the best possible opportunity to find a permanent, loving home with a forever family. MARE is dedicated specifically to finding adoptive families for Michigan foster youth who are legally free for adoption but lack an identified family — a gap that, per the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange, currently affects nearly 200 of the roughly 2,200 Michigan foster youth who are legally free for adoption.
MARE and Judson Center also run the annual Michigan Heart Gallery, a traveling photo exhibit featuring professional portraits of 60 waiting foster youth, displayed at venues including the Emagine Theatre in Royal Oak — one of several public campaigns designed to connect older waiting foster teens with prospective adoptive families. Those interested in learning more about Elijah and adoption from foster care can reach the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange at 800-589-6273 or visit mare.org.
