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Special Needs Adoption
Is It for You? By Margot Poss
While the guidelines for defining special needs adoption vary by state, there appears to be a common link. According to the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, as many as 80 to 90 percent of all special needs adoptions are successful, with the great majority of special needs adoptions creating lasting families.
Generally, the term "special needs" is used to refer to children who have physical or health problems, are older, are members of ethnic or racial minorities, have a history of abuse or neglect, suffer emotional problems, have siblings and need to be adopted as a group, have physical or mental conditions that may lead to future problems or are children with prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol.
That being said, in past years, parents who may have wanted to consider a special needs adoption tended to overlook the possibility because financially they were unable to provide for the special needs of that child. Much has changed in recent years. There are now more resources available to help adoptive parents manage the responsibilities that come with a special needs child. There is, and continues to be, a focus on placing children who have special needs with loving families, providing children with the services they need to grow into a healthy, contributing member of society.
Additionally, parents need to consider how other members of their family will adjust to the adoption of a special needs child. Studies have shown that, typically, families who adopt a special needs child tend to already have large families with many biological children and/or adopted or foster children. These families often have previous experience with health care professionals, school systems and administrators that helps them navigate systems to advocate on behalf of their children. While that may be the typical profile, that does not mean that it is the only family who would be successful. In fact, according to the National Adoption Center (NAC), many people have what it takes to be successful adoptive parents.