A waiting child is a child who is legally available for adoption and paperwork ready, but has not been matched with a family. A child may become a waiting child due to various factors including medical special needs, developmental delays, emotional issues, or simply being an older child or part of a sibling group.
The term “special needs” can be frightening at times for people. Our waiting children have a wide range of concerns. Often these concerns have caused or continue to cause the children to be harder to place than other children. For this reason, they are placed in our Waiting Child Program. Some special needs may be correctable with a surgery while others may require more long-term care. There exists no single definition or way to quantify “special needs.” Each child waiting for a home is unique and special in their own way and must be considered in that way.
Different people have different feelings about their ability to care for a child with various conditions. What is considered a major challenge to one person is accepted as a minor special need by another. In considering the adoption of a child who is waiting, your family must make several considerations.
Our goal is to match children and families in the best possible way for both the child and the family.
The general requirements for a specific country’s adoption program usually apply for waiting children. At times, exceptions to some requirements may be made for a waiting child. If more than one family is interested in the adoption of a specific child, our Social Work Committee will determine which family has the ability to best meet the child’s needs.
If all things appear to be equal, preference may be given to a family based upon various factors such as the family’s “paperwork readiness,” access to quality health care to meet the child’s specific special needs, and/or individual family experience, etc.
We embrace children of all ages and special care conditions and count it an honor to help find families for them.