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We're planning on adopting out of the foster care system in Minnesota. I haven't "been there, done that" yet. However, I have studied attachment disorders enough to be cautious, but am still blissfully ignorant enough to be willing to proceed.
Surf around in the "Special Needs and Attachment" area here, and read up on attachment disorders, etc., so that you can make an informed decision. The more I've read, the more I've come to believe that KarynB is correct in that there probably isn't a way to understand what it's like to live with these children without having been there yourself.
Find and read a copy of Adopting the Hurt Child by Keck and Kupecky, and assume that children who have been abused or neglected will have some or all of the kinds of behaviors described. If you still think you're up to the challenge, then go ahead and adopt, but armed with the knowledge that you're facing all the potential problems of an older child adoption AND all the potential problems of an international adoption.
But also remember this - there's a long line of people waiting to adopt infants. The older children need you more. Learn, prepare yourself, then do the work you feel called to do.
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