Jayden has a home. Thank you.

Our 2012 Adoption Campaign has raised over $30,000 which means children like Jayden are finally home. For good.

Siblings Angela (adopted), Jayden (adopted) and Madison. 

Karen and Adam Owens saw Jayden, 3, for the first time when he was featured on the Freddie Mac Foundation’s Wednesday’s Child on NBC 10 in 2011.

Karen and Adam knew Jayden would be their son as soon as they saw him on TV. The Owen’s son Gavin, born with a rare chronic illness, passed away at the age of three. Through their loss, the couple kept love in their hearts and knew the time they spent learning the ins and outs of caring for a child with intense medical needs, was not in vain.

The medical skills they acquired and the incredible love they had for their son made them certain that they wanted to adopt medically fragile children. Which they have done….twice. First with Angela and now Jayden!

Thanks to the generosity from our supporters, we are able to continue providing resources to foster children who are looking for homes to call their own. Thank you.

Wishing Everyone a Wonderful New Year,
The National Adoption Center

Married Parents Needed?

The Arizona House of Representatives approved legislation on Feb. 23 that would give married couples preference in adoptions. The measure, which supporters argue is in the best interests of children, now goes to the state Senate for consideration. Opponents of the 35-22 vote on HB 2148 said research shows that the children of single parents do very well and that, if enacted into law, the bill could undermine the permanency prospects of some children in foster care – especially those with special needs. Critics also characterized the legislation as a covert means of discriminating against prospective gay and lesbian parents, since only heterosexuals can legally marry in Arizona.

What do you think of this Legislation? Is it discriminative?

Wendy's Wonderful Kids Spolight

This month, I am adding a new child to my Wendy’s Wonderful Kids caseload. He will be the youngest child in my program by far; Camron is only 4 years old. Though he is so young, Camron has been waiting to find a Forever Family for over a year. Sadly, he is the victim of shaken baby syndrome. Because of this, Camron has many special medical needs, which have made it difficult to find the right family for this endearing little boy.

Camron is a happy child who greatly enjoys being the center of attention! One of his favorite activities is playing with others. Camron has limited vision and is unable to talk. However, he does speak his own language, especially when excited or happy in his surroundings. The most effective method of communication with him is through touch. Thus, Camron is happiest in water and outdoors. Vibrant and content, he is the most “chatty” when camping outside. At home, when not playing, Camron is normally quiet in his crib. Camron loves to snuggle and greatly enjoys attention. He loves interacting with others, especially when people gently "rough play" with him.

Camron is wheelchair bound and receives a lot of physical, occupational, and speech therapy. He also works with a deaf/blind teacher. He is starting to use touch cues to help him prepare for things being done to him (for example, hands together means he wants to play with a ball), though he is still limited in his sight tracking.

It will be hard work to find the right family for him, but his Delaware social worker and I have decided that this is the year to find Camron his home! We are ready to work hard to find his Forever Family. If you have experience with special needs children and are looking to adopt, you may be the right parent for him! I know the right family is out there for Camron; one who is ready to give him all of the love and attention he deserves.

For more information about Camron contact me, Amy Cressman, at 215-735-9988 ext. 31. You can also email me at acressman@adopt.org

"Special" Needs

Happy Friday!!

This week I want to talk about the term “special needs” as applied to children in foster care and how non-social work professionals view this term. The “special needs” label in the foster care system means that there is something about the child that needs some extra attention. Did you know that having a sibling can categorize a child as having “special needs”? Wow, I guess I was special needs when I was a child! :-)

Having learning disabilities are another thing that classifies a child as “special needs”. Many children in foster care have a learning disability simply because they have changed schools often. So much so, that they have not had the opportunity to be on the same page as everyone else, and are constantly playing catch up.

I wonder if individuals don’t adopt from the foster care system because they do not want a “special needs” child. To me, the term “special needs” just means they need someone special to parent them. If you are special and want to consider adoption, please contact me. I would like to answer your questions, concerns, and maybe even break some myths about adoption.

Question:
What behaviors, needs or disabilities, do you consider special needs? What issues do you not consider special needs?

Would a label of "special needs" automatically stop you from considering an adoption from the foster care system? Would you now ask for more clarification about what the special need is?

Sincerely,
SMART aka Sheina Martinez