Have all legal ties to their birth parents been terminated?
Why is the term "special needs" used to define some of these children? Does "special needs" mean that a child is physically disabled or has severe medical or emotional challenges?
What are "special needs"?
What do the children need or expect?
Aren't many of the abused or neglected children hardened, difficult and unruly?
Why are the children living in foster care?
The reasons may include death or permanent, total incapacity of the parent(s), and no relatives available to care for the child(ren). A child or sibling group may have been legally removed from the birth family for reasons of neglect, or where physical, sexual or emotional abuse is proved. When the children cannot be returned to the family and be properly protected and cared for, the legal rights of the parents are terminated by a court and a permanent living situation for the child(ren) is sought. If suitable relatives are not able to care for them, adoption by a non-relative is the next, best alternative.
Where are the children waiting for adoption?
Some of the children live with foster care families, in foster care group homes, in residential treatment facilities or nursing homes, due to their special medical needs, but none of the children are living with their birth families or relatives.
Have all legal ties to their birth parents been terminated?
All children photo-listed in most state Heart Galleries and all national online Heart Galleries photo-listings are considered “legally-free”. This means that a court has determined the rights of the parents to be legally terminated.
Why is the term "special needs" used to define some of these children? Does "special needs" mean that a child is physically disabled or has severe medical or emotional challenges?
No. Certainly these needs would be considered “special needs”. But “special needs” within the adoption field most likely means the children are simply older, belong to an ethnic minority, or are part of a sibling group and bear the emotional burden of having been abused or neglected. Sometimes a child may have a risk factor such as prior exposure to drugs or alcohol before birth which may put them at risk for developmental delays or learning problems in the future. They may have been abandoned. There may be no family or relative history, which would also put them at risk.
What are "special needs"?
“Special Needs” does not always mean that the child has a physical, mental or emotional disability. However, you may qualify for special financial assistance the may qualify if the children meet one or more of the “special needs” criteria below.
A child considered to have “special needs” is frequently entitled to receive benefits, such as increased financial assistance, Medicaid, or therapeutic support services, while in foster care. If adopted, these benefits can continue after adoption.
“Special Needs” refers to children in foster care who meet one or more of the following criteria:
The child is at least age 2 and part of an ethnic minority.
The child is at least eight years old.
The child is mentally, physically, or emotionally disabled.
The child is a part of a sibling group that needs to be placed together.
What do the children need or expect?
The children are real, unique personalities who need love, understanding and, above all, acceptance. Each child is an individual. What one child expects, or hopes for, may be quite different from another. Many foster children really don’t know what to expect. Their experience of family life may have been neglectful, abusive or hurtful. What all children hope, deep down, is that any family with whom they are placed will care about them, be patient and accept them for who they are and demonstrate love and tender affection.
Aren't many of the abused or neglected children hardened, difficult and unruly?
Many parents are reluctant to adopt children from the state, in part due to misinformation about adoption of children from foster care.
Many of the children waiting for adoption through the state child welfare system have endured serious trauma and losses in their young lives. Nearly half of all foster children have special needs, meaning they are either developmentally delayed, physically disabled or suffer mental or emotional disabilities. These are often the children who have the greatest need for a loving, stable and nurturing home.
That’s why, child welfare administrators say, the adoption process focuses so heavily on building trust among prospective parents and the children they want to adopt.
The parent training offered ensures expectations are realistic for everyone involved. All adoptive parents receive training on the dynamics of abuse and neglect and child behaviors and they have the opportunity to meet with other adoptive parents to learn what they may experience.
