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Adoption: Taking the First Step -- Risk-Free by Tami Lorkovich In 2003, parents in the United States adopted 120,000 foreign-born children from other countries. Coincidentally, in 2003, 120,000 children and youth were legally free for adoption from the United States public child welfare system. In addition, 25,000 of the oldest youth "age out" each year without a family after their 18th birthday. These statistics are not meant to evoke guilt in those who adopt internationally as there is no doubt that these children also need and deserve a family. On the contrary, the statistics imply a hopeful outlook. If couples and individuals are willing to pay high fees and endure international travel in a world not especially friendly toward Americans, surely there is hope for children right here whose adoptions can be handled at low or no cost at an agency near their home.
Building Adoption Awareness, Interest, Action Recent research conducted by the Ad Council for the national AdoptUS Kids advertising campaign and early results from a local initiative, Adopt Cuyahoga’s Kids, also offer hope. In classic marketing strategies, advertising firms focus on three stages: awareness, interest, and action. In their research, the Ad Council found that potential adoptive parents know about the need for adoptive families (awareness) and most people want to do something about it and know what the benefits would be (interest). Not surprisingly, most people get stuck at the action level. That’s where Adoption Network Cleveland’s program, Adopt Cuyahoga’s Kids, comes in. Initiated by the United Way’s Community Vision Council, Adopt Cuyahoga’s Kids is leading 13 adoption agencies in an effort to change the way families are recruited for the 1,400 teens, preteens and children waiting to be adopted in Cuyahoga County. Unlike ad campaigns for new or improved products, recruiting prospective families is asking someone to make a significant commitment that requires a greater willingness to take risks than buying a new kind of toothpaste.
Many Questions, Many Answers It is natural for those thinking about adopting a foster child to have fears and many questions. Adopt Cuyahoga’s Kids offers support and information before, during, and after adoption from Adoption Navigators – experienced adoptive parents and others who can answer burning questions and alleviate fears about the process because they’ve lived it. They also offer Adoption 101: Where do I begin? – a free workshop that provides information about all kinds of adoption, and Adoption 201: Adopting through the public system – another free workshop for people considering foster child adoption. Lisa, an Adoption Navigator, says, "People need to know that adoptive parents like my husband and me aren’t saints. We struggle with parenting issues, we worry about how our work schedules impact our kids, and we think about how the unknowns in our kids’ backgrounds might be affecting them. But we also find satisfaction in the everyday things like bowling or doing homework at the kitchen table that make us a family." The good news is that in Cuyahoga County, close to 700 kids on average are adopted each year. Those who adopt foster children and teens are single, divorced, widowed, or married people who, unlike most international adopters, sometimes already have adult children they’ve raised. Many times people who adopt do so because they know someone, just like them, who adopted and the process seems less daunting. The Ad Council’s research shows that adoptive parents of foster children tend to "be active in their communities; attend church; love children; may be part of a large family; be more into quality of life than the finer things in life; and are charitable." Some potential parents are afraid that they won’t qualify to adopt for some reason. Often fear of not living up to high standards or worry about a homestudy that might be too intrusive keeps people from making the first call to an agency. The Adoption Navigators understand those fears and reassure callers that "while some procedures seem invasive, these are necessary evils intended to protect the children, not ways to determine if someone is perfect enough to parent." The process is ultimately meant to prepare parents to meet the needs of preteens and teens who’ve been disappointed by other adults in their lives.
Become a Mentor For some, thinking about becoming an adoptive parent isn’t the best place for them to start. Adopt Cuyahoga’s Kids offers many ways to help (see sidebar) that may or may not lead to adoption someday. One new way is to become a Permanency Champion – a responsible adult who mentors, advocates for, and provides active, ongoing support for teens through adoption or into adulthood. Through a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters and 16 other organizations, Adoption Network Cleveland is embarking on a specialized program of services for foster teens to provide support and camp experiences in addition to matching them with mentors. Remember, to be an adoptive parent, you don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to start big. Call a Navigator at (216) 325-1000 and ask some questions. Get some information. Talk to other parents. Ask some more questions. Volunteer. Whatever it is you decide to do, remember that other people just like you are doing it, too.
Are you ready to adopt? Love kids Ready to parent another person’s birth child Willing to give extra attention to a child Have people who can provide references Have people to provide support/babysitting Willing to find and use resources for a child Can be flexible in expectations and lifestyle Willing to call and get more information
Other ways you can help:
Tami Lorkovich is program director of Adopt Cuyahoga’s Kids.
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