By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Christina Brown and her children, (left to right) Darlene, 10, Madison, 11 months, Austin, 4, and Tina, 8, read a book in the living room of their home in Independence. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

Debbie Smith of Independence describes her household of 10 children as controlled chaos.

Smith and her husband, Jerry, have five biological and five adopted children ranging in age from 3 to 24.

Ten years ago, the couple opened their home to two siblings and had such a great experience they decided to adopt more children.

"It's a different lifestyle, but we love it,'' said the stay-at-home mom, who counts several children with special needs among her young charges. "I'm so proud of my kids. They've never let me down.''

On Saturday, Mrs. Smith will be among those offering advice and support to potential foster and adoptive parents at the Tri-State Adoption Fair and Conference at the Coconut Grove in Newport.

IF YOU GO

What: Tri-State Adoption Fair and Conference. When: Fair is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Conference is 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Where: Coconut Grove, 18 E. Fifth St., Newport. Cost: Fair is free. Conference costs $45. Children's lunch and activities are $10. Information: For fair, call (859) 292-6632. For conference or to register for children's activities, call (513) 738-1891. Or go to Web site.

"If people have questions or just want information on adoption or foster care, this is a great place to get answers,'' said Christina Willingham, a member of the recruitment and certification team for Kentucky's foster and adoptive parents. "We're very low key. We're happy to answer any questions that we can. Adoption is a big, personal decision, and we want people to be informed.''

Others volunteering at the fair include Christina Brown, who with her husband, Billy, have two adopted, two biological and one foster child.

"We treat all of our children the same, and my birth children don't even know the difference,'' said Mrs. Brown, who also lives in Independence. "My biological son, who's 4, tells people that he was adopted when he was born.''

At the fair, more than 30 public and private adoption agencies and support groups will provide information. Activities for children will be provided.

The conference is for families interested in pursuing adoption and current adoptive families, said Sharon Wiley, an adoptive parent and executive director of the Tri-State Adoption Coalition.

Nationally, 500,000 children are in foster care and 150,000 school-age children are waiting to be adopted, Wiley said.

Experts say hundreds of local children are awaiting homes.

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com