Little People of America (LPA) 9/16/2014

Transcription

1 Adoption of a Specific Special Need Colleen Gioffreda, LPA National Adoption Coordinator Conflict of Interest Disclosures In relation to this presentation, I declare that there are no conflicts of interest. Little People of America (LPA) LPA is a non-profit, 501c3 organization that provides support and information to people of short stature and their families. Established in 1957 by Billy Barty, LPA offers information on employment, education, disability rights, medical issues, clothing, adaptive products, parenting, and adoption. 1

2 LPA s Mission and Purpose LPA strives to offer the support and resources necessary to empower all people with dwarfism reach their full potential. The LPA is a primarily all-volunteer organization for persons and families involved with the condition of dwarfism. There are scholarships and grants available to members and their families for college, adoption, medical help, and travel assistance to the national conferences. Little People of America (LPA) Statistics: LPA is the world s largest organization for people with dwarfism and their families. LPA has over 6300 members. There are around 15,000 people with dwarfism in the database that have contacted LPA for information. There is an estimated rate of 1 person with dwarfism per 10,000 in the general population. The current U.S. population is around 313 million people. This means that LPA has reached around 45% of people with dwarfism living in the United States. LPA and its Adoption Program The LPA Adoption program has been around since approximately Since that time, there have been hundreds of children with dwarfism who have found their families through adoption and LPA. 2

3 My personal adoption story Pictures. How I got involved A friend adopted from Russia, and I learned vicariously through their family about International adoption. I was appointed by the LPA President to be the National Adoption Coordinator in the Spring/Summer of Since 2004, LPA has helped facilitate the placement of over 200 children with with dwarfism. Some of the kiddos who have found their family through LPA Adoption. Picture taken at the Adoption Reception at the LPA National Conference, San Diego, 2014 LPA s Role in a Domestic Adoption Adoptive Parents Prospective parents contact the LPA Adoption Coordinator to be placed on the Domestic/Newborn waiting list. Depending on the adoptive parent s preferences, there could be anywhere between a 3 10 year waiting period. LPA receives an average of 5 6 calls per year regarding a possible domestic adoption. Adoption placements range between 1 2 a year, on average. All adoptive parents on our waiting list are either short-statured themselves, or have a family member or child who are short statured. Reasons why: The adoptive parents already have knowledge of dwarfism, and more likely to be aware of medical complications that may come with the condition. It is a method of screening adoptive parents. Some people of short stature may have a very difficult time getting pregnant, or may struggle with double dominance. The LPA Adoption program gives members a different pathway to starting a family. 3

4 LPA s Role in a Domestic Adoption Birth Parents First contact could be from a variety of sources: Birth parents and/or grandparents Family lawyers Adoption agencies OB/Gyn offices Social Workers Genetic counselors! LPA s Role in a Domestic Adoption Birth Parents Approximately 90% of the domestic adoptions that LPA facilitates are adoptions due to a diagnosis, either in utero or after birth. Around 10% of the adoptions have been due to birth parents who have already decided on adoption for their child. Birthparents usually have specific ideas about what type of family they prefer for their child. Some preferences which may be discussed could be: Religion Race How many children are already in the family Educational background Financial status Closed v. open adoption Short-statured parents versus average-statured parents (specific to LPA adoption) Adoptive parents call to express interest in adopting LPA s Role in a Domestic Adoption Facilitation! Birth parents or representative call to express interest in adoption plan Adoptive parents are placed on waiting list Birth parents and coordinator discuss possible family matches. Adoptive parents start their home study paperwork After both sides make decisions, a family is matched! Birth parents look over adoptive parent autobiographies and may decide to talk directly to adoptive parents. 4

5 Domestic Adoption Flowchart LPA and International Adoptions Within the last ten years, 90% of children who are adopted through LPA are through international adoption. Countries that have had the most adoptions through LPA include: LPA and International Adoptions Other international adoptions include: Albania Thailand Liberia Haiti Nepal Taiwan Guatemala Poland Latvia Colombia Countries that we have facilitated adoptions within the country (the countries do not adopt outside of the country): Great Britain Australia 5

6 Certified Birth Certificates for all family members Certified Marriage Certificate (if applicable) Certified Divorce Decrees (if applicable) Income verification with W-2 or income tax statements Financial history including all bank statements, retirement plan accounts, stock accounts, etc. Physical examinations with health statements of every member of the household. Personal references from friends and colleagues. FBI, police, and child abuse clearances with no criminal records. A written autobiographical life history of all family members. Certified driving records. Insurance policies (specifically health insurance). The home study is a written document your caseworker or social worker writes about your family which includes basic information drawn from interviews with your family and information provided by all of the paperwork you have submitted. A home study includes information about: Family background, statements, and references Relationships and social life Daily life routines Parenting experiences, philosophies, and expectations Details about the adoptive parents home and neighborhood Readiness and reasons about the reason why the adoptive parents want to adopt. Approval and recommendation of children that the family can best parent. The home study visit is the final piece of the home study, before the social worker or the agency writes the finalized home study. A typical home visit consists of: The home study provider meeting with each individual living in the home to assess how well a child will be received and accepted into the family. The social worker interviewing each household member with questions on: their background, how the person was raised, hobbies, and philosophies. Examining the physical state of the home to ensure it is an appropriate environment for children. Cleanliness and sanitation of the home must meet state codes. (Perfection is not necessary!) Ensuring that state housing codes regarding smoke detectors, safety railings, fences around pools, and temperature regulation are being followed. 6

7 A dossier is a set of legal documents, typically in regards to an international adoption. The following must be notified, state certified, and authenticated by the Country s Embassy: (this is an example of a dossier for China) Petition Letter from Applicants Medical Form for each Adoptive Parent Birth Certificate for Adoptive Parents only Police Reports one for each Certificate of Marital Status Adoptive Parent Employment Letter Home Study Report Financial Letter Copy of I-171H Approval Form Additional required documents: Copy of Adoption Applicants Passports. Two 2-inch bareheaded photos of each adoption applicant. At least 6 photos reflecting family of adoption applicants. Qualification of Parents: Both Singles and couples may adopt in the United States. You must be at least 21 years of age. There is technically no age limit. Singles and couples wishing to adopt through the US Foster Care System must attend several educational classes, and then work with a social worker to be matched with an available child/sibling-set. Travel: Travel is dependent on the residing state of the adoptive parent and the child being adopted. Adoptive parents may choose to arrive may be required to stay in the state of birth for about 7-10 days. All home study requirements must be met. Married Couple Guidelines: Couples married a minimum of two years (minimum of five years if there is a history of divorce) No more than two divorces per parent Applicants should be 30 to 54 years of age. Exceptions sometimes may be made for those older than 54 who wish to adopt school-age children. No serious physical health diagnoses (BMI must be no greater than 40; inquire about history of major surgery, vision/hearing impairments, mobility limitations, chronic or long-term health diagnoses) No mental health diagnoses (inquire about mental health including mild depression, anxiety or similarly mild conditions) No history of drug use or dependency; where there is a history of alcohol abuse, consideration given for individuals with 10 or more years of alcohol-free lifestyle Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent Minimum annual income of $30,000 + $10,000 per each child currently living in home. Minimum net worth of $80,000 7

8 Single Women Guidelines: Must have at least a one-year interval since previous adoption; May only adopt special needs children Between years of age at time paperwork is submitted to CCAA; may be 50+ years of age provided there are no more than 45 years age difference between the child and the applicant; Have no more than two children under 18 years of age in the home, and the youngest child must be at least 6 years of age; Be able to appoint appropriate male role models for the adopted child; Have a strong social and family network to support applicant and adopted child(ren) Be willing and able to attest in writing to her sexual orientation as non-homosexual, in order to satisfy CCAA s requirements which do not allow gay or lesbian individuals to adopt from China; Submit divorce decree in case of having a history of divorce or death certificate for deceased husband where applicable; Have a minimum annual income of $30,000 with net assets valuing at least $100,000; Have good medical insurance which will cover the medical expenses of the adopted child; Applicants with successful experience caring for children with special needs are preferred. Travel: Only one visit. At least one parent must travel to China to complete the adoption. Travel time is most often days. Timeline: From the time the dossier is completed (the complete paperwork packet due) to travel is around 9 15 months for a special needs child. Considerations for people with disabilities who are adopting: A potential parent with a diagnosis or disability will only be allowed to adopt a child with that same diagnosis or disability. For example, a person with achondroplasia will not be permitted to adopt a child with a cleft palate. The diagnosis of the parent MUST match the child s, even if the child s diagnosis is incorrect. (China s adoption program has frequently misdiagnosed their waiting children). Sometimes adoptive parents have to be creative in order to hand in the correct paperwork. China is very strict regarding BMI requirements. It is helpful for disabled adoptive parents to use BMI charts that correspond to their diagnosis. Singles or couples may adopt. Parents must be at least 25 years old, and must be at least 15 years older than the child to be adopted. There may be no more than 45 years between parent and child. Two trips are required. The first trip is 6 9 days, and the second is 9 11 days. Adoptive parents with Multiple Sclerosis or Bipolar Disorder are not accepted. Otherwise, Bulgaria s adoption program is one of the most flexible for people with disabilities. There is not a limit to the number of children that can be at home. (Parents with 12 children may adopt from Bulgaria, if all other requirements are met). 8

9 Singles or couples may adopt. India does not knowingly place children with gay applicants. Parents must be at least 25 years old, and there may be no more than 45 years between parent and child. For children under three years old, the composite age of parents should be less than 90 and neither parent can be over 50. For children over three years old, the composite age of parents should be less than 105 and neither parent can be over 55. One trip is required for 1 2 weeks. The wait after the dossier is submitted could be months. There is a limit of up to 4 children at home at the time of adoption. Travel in India for people with disabilities has been reported to be difficult in some areas. Why Adoption is Important An orphanage in the Ukraine An orphanage in India An orphanage in Bulgaria An orphanage in China Why Adoption is Important 9