Being adopted is truly a gift to an
older child who may well understand how precious a loving family is in his or
her life. Older children may also fit your lifestyle better with fewer care
requirements. If you are considering an older child adoption, it will be
important to speak with families who have also adopted older children so you
can fully understand the rewards and the challenges.
Sibling groups, by definition,
include older children. There are many, many sibling groups that are looking
for loving, permanent homes. These children have a built in security that can
add the strength and stability they need to make an easier transition to your
home. Sibling groups are often designated to have “special needs” and can be
placed more quickly, often at less cost and there is the possibility of ongoing
subsidies for their care.
The term “special needs” can be
very scary to people. It frequently conjures up images of severely disabled
children who need extraordinary care. However, the term is just as often used
to describe adoptive circumstances such as male African American child older
than 8 years old needs (considered to have special needs because these children
are more difficult to place) or a child of mixed race.
The designation “special needs” can
apply to children:
- Who have developmental or emotional issues that range
from mild to severe.
- Of a particular minority if it has been difficult to
recruit families from that ethnic background.
- Who are older and therefore have a special need
because they are more difficult to place.
- Within
sibling groups because of placement difficulty.
Who are considered at-risk because of poor prenatal care,
history of abuse or genetic predisposition.
