Pittsfield — Hollywood doesn’t always get it right, but take it from an agency that works with families considering foster care and adoption: There is some important realness to the movie “Instant Family.” At Berkshire Children and Families, working with such families and the children who need homes is core to our mission. After viewing the trailer for “Instant Family,” we expected that the movie would be cute and funny; it was both of those things, but it also nailed some truths. What separates this from being a typical Hollywood movie is director/co-writer Sean Anders’ experience having adopted a sibling set from the foster care system. It is this authentic experience that informs the storyline with accuracy and sensitivity.
At any given time this year in the United States, nearly 500,000 children and youth will be in the foster care system. In Massachusetts, there are 9,600 children and youth experiencing foster care. As the caseworkers portray in the movie, there is a particular need for foster and adoptive families willing to parent teens. Many people think of babies or young children when they envision adoption, but children of all ages need families and the sense of belonging that brings. The film explores the complexity of emotions felt by children of different ages and stages in their lives; no matter the age of the child, none of this is easy.
In “Instant Family,” we see a fun couple and a pretty home, but this does not guarantee that children are grateful and happy. The movie also shows the variety of people who want to expand their families through foster care and adoption. Families headed by single parents or married, same-sex or opposite-sex families, and families from all religions, socio-economic classes, races and ethnicities are needed. Just as the children each have their own stories of coming into the system, so do families.
Berkshire Children and Families’ staff is particularly skilled in preparing and supporting families through the foster care and adoption processes. In the film, just when everything looks to be too good to be true, the viewer begins to see and feel the potent magnetic draw that children feel toward their birth parents, no matter how tragic or potentially dangerous this may be. It feels counterintuitive, yet it is real and powerful. Our staff guides families through these challenging times so that they can continue to offer safe and stable places for children and youth to succeed.
Berkshire Children and Families does this work every day, and each story is unique. “Instant Family” is engrossing, sweet and tender, and authentically portrays the joys and struggles for all involved in the process. If you are feeling a little inspired or just curious, Berkshire Children and Families can help you with information and resources.
