[Aarnold]

Just wondering if anyone recently adopted from china special needs program. We are looking for a girl 2yrs-
6yrs old with minor issue. Can you give me some agencies that anyone used ? I am not looking to start until January 2010.

[sak9645]

Let me just remind you that some of the minor issues that used to be considered special needs no longer qualify a child for this program; a child with these issues will be referred to people in the NSN program. As an example, an extra toe is no longer considered a special need.

The younger a child on the special needs list is, the more likely it is that he/she has a significant issue. China does not want people moving to the SN program in hopes of finding a young baby with minimal needs.

So if you are hoping for a two year old, be prepared to find children who have conditions like significant congenital heart defects, cleft palates, deafness, blindness, Hepatitis B carrier status, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, ambiguous genitalia, etc. The good news is that some of the children with problems requiring surgery may already have had some of the necessary procedures.

China WILL sometimes put children 6 and over on the SN lists, even if they are quite healthy, because such children are considered hard to place. School aged boys, in particular, are likely to be put on the list when healthy, because fewer families choose to adopt boys. If there is any chance that you would consider a child over age six, especially a boy, this is the place to find one with few or no health issues.

Also, do be aware that there will be a LOT of families searching the special needs lists for girls, and particularly girls whose special needs are not all that hard to manage. As a result, you may not always be matched with a young girl whose profile interests you, because there may be other families who have requested the child first or who seem better qualified to meet her needs.

Sharon

[DPline]

Please remember that all agency discussion must take place via private message.

Thanks!

[jessibird]

I jsut wanted to say that we just returned with our son-he is considered having a moderate need, but we really don't feel it is. The moderate part comes in that the damage to his eyes is perminate-can't be fixed with surgery. However, with glasses he is doing great with his glasses and we do not have the stress of surgery after surgery. Just a thought...
here is his blog: Gabe's Page

[sak9645]

There are actually three ways to adopt a child with special needs, who lives in China.

1. The first way is to submit your dossier in the same way as for the NSN program, and let China select a child who matches your requirements in terms of age, medical issue, etc. The wait will usually be shorter than the NSN wait unless there is no child available who meets your criteria.

2. Use an agency specific waiting list to identify a child whom you can parent.

3. Use the shared list to identify a child whom you can parent.

In any case, be realistic; don't ask for a baby with very minor issues, or you won't get a referral. Most of the children will be either relatively healthy school aged children or younger children with significant needs such as cleft palate, heart defects, absent or malformed limbs, etc.