I wrote post for you recently about special needs international adoption. These kids, also called “waiting children” are greatly in need of a family to love and care for them. If you are interested in adopting one of these special needs children, you may be wondering where to find them. This post will hopefully point you in the right direction.
If you have signed with a specific agency (or if you plan to) then this is a good place to start. Most agencies have listings of special needs children and they will be pleased to know that you are interested in considering the adoption of one of them.
If you have not yet chosen an agency, then you can take advantage of specific sites that list waiting children. These sites are usually open to agencies as well as private adoption facilitators. They post their children on the site in order to get the word out about that child. You can contact them in order to learn more. Keep in mind, though, that if you have not started your paperwork – especially your homestudy – then you may not be able to request that specific child. There are some exceptions to this, though. With our adoption, we were able to request Erick without having done any of our paperwork. If the agency or facilitator is anxious to place the child or if you have a relationship with them and they know you are sincere, they may be willing to let you accept the child’s referral without being “paper-ready”.
Since my heart has been drawn to the waiting children of the world and this is how we plan to grow our family, I keep an eye out for sites that list waiting children. Here is the information on several of these sites:
The Shepherd’s Crook Ministries
This organization run by the Rosnow family. They have four biological children and they have adopted 10 children internationally. In addition to other ministry areas, they have a website with listings of waiting children from all over the globe. For most children there is a picture and then basic information about the child and any special needs they have. The children are of all ages from infants to younger teenagers. This is where we found our son-to-be, Erick. Our experience with The Shepherd’s Crook has been wonderful. They really have a heart for these children and the staff will do anything they can to help you as you go through your adoption process. You can learn more about The Shepherd’s Crook by going to www.theshepherdscrook.org.
Brittany’s Hope
This organization is a little different in that they have waiting children listed and individual or foundations have placed specific grant amount that will go to towards the child’s adoption. Some of these kids are just harder to place because of age and some have medical needs that range from moderate to severe. This site also provides pictures and basic information about the children. There is contact information if you want to get in touch with the agency who is listing a specific child. I don’t have any personal experience with Brittany’s Hope, but I have always heard good things about their ministry. To view the Brittany’s Hope website go to www.brittanyshope.org
Adoption Patch
I just learned about this site recently, but I was really impressed with it. It is run by an adoptive mother who wants to spread the word about international adoption and specifically special needs international adoption. The site has photolistings of children who are waiting and some of them do have grants allotted to them in order to help the child be placed. In addition to the photolisting, the site has a lot of information about international adoption, different kinds of special needs and adopting children of different ages. They have a page explaining the joys and difficulties of each age group. It is a great resource as you learn more about this kind of adoption and maybe you will find your child on this site! Access their website at www.adoptionpatch.org
My main purpose in these posts is to encourage you to consider special needs children. There are so many of them out there and they are desperately in need of families. Remember, though, no one should adopt a child out of charity and it’s important that you not adopt a waiting child just because he or she needs a home. However, if you are already interested in adoption, then take a moment to consider the waiting children of the world. We did and the choice to adopt our special needs son has brought us more joy than we ever could have imagined.
RachelW is the Families.com Blogger on Employment but is currently going through the process of an international adoption. You can read her regular blogs at: http://employment.families.com/blogs/