These 15 children up for adoption in Maine, with smiles that will melt your heart, are looking for their forever homes.

It's tough for older kids to get adopted. I mean, let's face it. When most potential parents think about adopting, they want a baby, preferably an infant. So the older a child gets, the tougher it is to find the right home for them. Many of them are put into the foster care system, which can be okay. But can also be frustrating, as they bounce from home to home, school to school, without ever really having that sense of stability that a family provides.

A national non-profit, called Adopt US Kids, connects would-be parents with children in the foster care system within their own communities. The smiling faces and upbeat biographies of each child will give some insight into their personalities and hopefully encourage potential parents to take the next step.

Currently, there are 15 children on the Adopt US Kids listing for Maine. They range in age from 10 to 17 and they could all use places to call home. A real home with a family that will always be theirs, instead of a temporary stopping point. If it's time to expand your family, take a few minutes and read more about these kids. Maybe you're the perfect fit for a child who's been the odd person out for too long. Dreams can come true and for these kids, it's a permanent home with parents who love them.

For more on foster care and adoption in Maine and to view the profiles of children currently available for adoption, please visit the Adopt US Kids site.

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