KENTUCKY — Since 1995, November has been marked as a time of deep introspect about adoption. This year's National Adoption Month is focused on the importance of permanent, adoptive homes for older youth. 

Ethan Engelhardt is both an adoptive and foster parent, who works as a professor of Social Work at Asbury University.

Ethan joins this In Focus Kentucky segment to share his personal experience about his family's adoption process.

"My wife and I, we have our first two children, they are our biological children. And we've been able to walk through that journey with our kids. So it's really been cool to teach them about what it means to step out of our own family, our own bloodline family and provide space and care for another person," said Engelhardt.

The university professor also shared some pros and cons for people to consider before they start the adoption process. 

"I mean, the pros significantly outweigh the cons in my mind, at least from my personal experience, that I've admitted to my friends and peers. It just as another way to extend love to others and to provide care for family members who are hurting, who are struggling. It also is really cool. It's becoming much more of an acceptable, appropriate and even normal option for family planning in a lot of our communities, so I think it's just an awesome way to just show love and take care of children and adoption," adds Engelhardt.

You can watch the full In Focus segment in the player above.