Adoption of Children with
Special Needs
Exploring Child Welfare by Joan Shireman
Many people, when they think of adoption, think of the adoption
of a healthy infant. However, most of the adoptions done through
the public sector are those of children who have special needs-children
who are older, who have organic conditions which create uncertainty
about their future lives, or children who have had such difficult
experiences in their short lives that they have mental health and/or
behavioral difficulties. Other youngsters may have needs of a different
sort-sibling groups where the attachment is strong, and a home that
can take two, three, or even more children at one time is needed.
Or children of minority races, particularly African American children,
for whom, for a variety of reasons, there have never seemed to be
enough waiting same-race adoptive parents.
In the 1970's, special projects demonstrated that it was possible
to find homes for these children. It was soon apparent that it would
not be difficult to place infants with developmental handicaps whose
future progress could be predicted. More difficult have been infants
with uncertain futures, such as drug-affected infants.
Unique types of adoption have developed to meet the needs of some
of these children. White parents have been eager to adopt African
American children, in the most common type of trans-racial adoption.
Single parent homes have taken many older children, and may have
particular strengths in working with some attachment disorders.
Age has been the greatest barrier to finding adoptive homes. Many
would-be adopting parents really want to be a part of a child's young
years, and are hesitant about their ability to be effective parents
to a child who is older, has had difficult experiences, and brings
many memories and behaviors from the past. It is easier for parents
and children to form bonds when the children are young; higher adoption
disruption rates are associated with older age at placement. Many
agencies now do not attempt to find adoptive homes for adolescents-though
some adoptions in this age group are very successful, more than half
fail.
Browsing the web sites which attempt to find adoptive homes for
these children with special needs gives some idea of the numbers
of these children, and their characteristics. Below are readings
that provide some data on these adoptions, and expand on the above
ideas.
Useful books and articles
Barth, R. P, M. Freundlich and D. Brodzinsky (2000) Adoption
and Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure. . Washington, D. C.,
Child Welfare League of America and Evan B. Donaldson Adoption
Institute.
Bartholet, E. (1999). Nobody's Children: Abuse, Neglect, Foster
Drift, and the Adoption Alternative. Boston, MA, Beacon Press.
Emlen, A. and e. al (1976). Overcoming Barriers to Planning for
Children in Foster Care. Portland, Oregon, Regional Research
Institute for Human Services.
Festinger, T. (1986). Necessary Risk: A Study of Adoptions and
Disrupted Adoptive Placements. New York, Child Welfare League
of America, Inc.
Glidden, I. M. (1991). "Adopted Children with Developmental
Disabilities: Post-adoptive Family Functioning." Children
and Youth Service Review 13: 363-78.
Meezan, W. and J. Shireman (1985). Care and Commitment; Foster
Parent Adoption Decisions. Albany, NY, State University of
New York Press.
Nelson, K. A. (1985). On the Frontier of Adoption: A Study of
Special-Needs Adoptive Families. New York, Child Welfare League
of America, Inc.
Partridge, S., H. Hornby, et al. (1986). Legacies of Loss, Visions
of Gain: An Inside Look at Adoption Disruption. Portland, ME,
University of Southern Maine, Human Services Development Institute.
Pine, B. A. (1991). Special Families for Special Children: The
Adoption of Children with Developmental Disabilities. Florence
Heller School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare. Waltham,
MA, Brandeis University.
Reid, W. J., R. M. Kagan, et al. (1987). "Adoptions of Older
Institutionalized Youth." Social Casework 68: 140-149.
Rosenthall, J. A. and V. K. Groze (1992). Special-Needs Adoption;
A Follow-up Study of Intact Families. New York, Praeger.
Unger, C., G. Dwarshusis, et al. (1977). Chaos, Madness and Unpredictability.
Chelsea, MI, Spaulding for Children.
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