What are we thinking?

For those of you who don't know, Tim and I not only are pursuing adoption through the foster care system, we are also becoming what is termed "theraputic foster parents" to do so. This isn't as scary as it sounds--although it could be, depending on what our specifications are as to what type of child we will take. These kids are being referred to a private agency from the county and because we are going to be a pre-adoptive home, we will only be taking in children who a. already have been legally and permanently separated from their birth parents or b. who have been targeted as a potentially adoptable child, meaning the case worker has good reason to believe the child/children will never go back to their birth parents. The realm of special needs children can seem much more daunting than it actually has to be. There is a very broad definition of special needs and I found a succinct definition I would like to share so that anyone who is concerned about this decision our family has made can have some of their confusion and/or fears addressed. This was taken from an article entitled "We're All in this Together" that appeared in the July/August issue of Adoptive Families magazine in 2001.

"The term "special needs" is one that sends chills down the spine of a potential adoptive parent, because it suggests that the child has a severe intellectual or physical impairment. In truth, the adoption world defines "special needs" as any child who is not an infant, is part of a sibling group, had prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol, has had multiple caregivers, or who has been the victim of neglect or abuse. In essence, nearly all adopted children, regardless of their place of birth, fit the definition."