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We host an adoption orientation meeting the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at our Portland office. During the meeting, we cover basic adoption questions, the different processes, fees, and challenges that may occur during a family's adoption experience. This class is highly recommend before a family starts the application process. To take the class you must register by calling (503) 232-1211 or emailing [email protected]. 1. What types of families are needed to adopt "special needs" children? These children need all types of families - single parents (both mothers and fathers), two parent homes, older parents, younger parents, childless persons, families with children - but the main requisite is a love for children and a commitment to helping them grow and develop physically, emotionally and mentally, and an ability to learn and be flexible along with these children as they come into your home. In addition, there are many books, articles and websites available to help your family learn and prepare for these children and help you understand what impact adoption and their past will have on them. 2. Is there an age limit for people wanting to adopt? For those people wanting to adopt a special needs child, there is really no limit. Since our birth parents are allowed to choose the family who will adopt their child, couples between the ago of 25 and 45 tend to receive more infant placements. For international adoptions, the recommended ago group varies according to the country. "In Asian countries, age actually is viewed as an indicator of stability. In other countries, the age of the parent(s) is generally not a problem. However, we do ask the country officials if we suspect a problem."- International Family Services 3. What if finances are an issue? Probably the answer for you would be to adopt a special needs child. The state will reimburse you for expenses related to the adoption. In many cases, the State may also agree to continue paying a monthly sum after the adoption is finalized depending on the needs of the child and family. The State acknowledges the large number of children needing families and has taken steps to make sure financial reasons are not keeping good families from adopting these children. 4. Are birth parents able to change their minds and take their children back? Each state has different rules about how long a birth parent has to change their mind about placing their child into an adoptive home. For example, in Washington, a birth parent has 48 hours from the time they sign relinquishment of parental rights paperwork before their decision becomes irrevocable. In Oregon, their decision becomes irrevocable as soon as they sign. Other states have a waiting period of several days or weeks. In each case, the adopting family would be notified of the length of the time before a birth parent's decision would be come final. If the adopting family is willing to take the risk of a birth parent changing their mind during that period, and would like the baby placed with them as soon as possible, or staff would ask the adopting family to read and sign a "Legal Risk" document stating they understood the birth parent could change their mind for a few more hours, days or weeks, depending on the circumstances. This is a decision the adopting family must carefully consider, as it would be painful to have to return a child to the birth parent. However, a family may decide this risk would be out-weighed by the chance to have a baby placed with them sooner. There is one exception to the irrevocability of the relinquishment paperwork. In some states, a birth parent would have a certain period of time (possibly one year) to prove in a court there were extenuating circumstances forcing them to place their child against their will, such as mental illness or threat of physical harm from a secondary party. However, our staff carefully screens each birth parent and works to ensure this would never happen. CFS has never had a birth parent challenge an adoption because of this type of circumstance. If you have additional concerns about this issue, please contact our office and speak with one of our caseworkers. We would be happy to talk further with you about this issue. 5. What about birth parent or child searches? Occasionally, a birth parent or adoptee may wish to make contact with their child or biological parent(s). In most cases, this is after a child is no longer a minor. Our staff will attempt to reach a birth parent or adoptee to inform them of the request of contact. This can be an emotional event; we will help each party to understand the significance of the request as well as help them be better prepared for a letter or phone contact. In some cases, it will be helpful for one or both parties to receive individual counseling through a professional counselor or other service. Currently, if the one party does not wish to be contacted, our caseworkers encourage this desire to be honored. However, legislation in some states is currently being voted on which would allow an adoptee to receive their original birth certificate, including their birth parents real names. Oregon recently passed such legislation. If you are concerned about the impact of this, or have questions about your rights and options, please contact our agency for further information. We have yet to see the impact of this legislation on a large scale. However, we would strongly recommend that a counselor or someone from our agency be contacted before an adoptee searches for their birth parent in order for there to be a positive outcome for all involved. |