Adopting a Child With Special Needs

Fertility treatments offer many couples facing infertility a chance to have a child of their own. But sometimes, fertility treatments are ineffective or just too expensive for you to pursue. If you and your partner have decided to end fertility treatments, you may want to consider a number of other options available to you. Adoption is often an excellent route to pursue if you are interested in adding to your family. In particular, special needs adoption is a wonderful way to expand your family and provide a child with a loving and secure home.

What is Special Needs Adoption?

Special needs adoption is a type of adoption that involves raising a child with specific emotional, physical, or behavioral needs. Special needs adoptions are becoming more popular, however there are still many children with special needs who need a permanent home. Currently, there are over 100,000 children with special needs available for adoption in the United States.

What Are Special Needs?

Children with special needs often need extra love, care, and attention when it comes to specific areas of their lives. Children who may be defined as having special needs include those with:

• physical disabilities
• emotional problems
• developmental disabilities

Children who are at risk for future emotional or physical disabilities are also described as having special needs. Sometimes, children of a certain age, gender, or race are also defined as having special needs. This is because there are simply not enough people attempting to adopt them, for political, cultural, or social reasons.

Why Try Special Needs Adoption?

Couples become interested in special needs child adoption for various reasons.

• Special needs adoption helps to bring diversity to families.
• Many couples feel that they are able to provide for and nurture a child with a specific disability.
• Special needs adoption is less expensive and time-consuming than other types of adoption.

Who Can Participate in Special Needs Adoption?

Almost anyone who has the time, energy, finances, and dedication to raise a child with special needs can participate in special needs adoption. Both couples and single parents are typically welcome to apply for special needs adoption. Age requirements are also more relaxed than with domestic or international adoption (typically, people between the age of 18 and 50 can become successful adoptive parents). In order to qualify for special needs adoption you must:

complete a successful criminal record check

complete a successful homestudy

be able to provide a loving and supportive home

be able to address your child’s long term needs