S2024

Dr. Sisson

-The child has their own culture and norms that they are used to and they will be coming from. Helping the child with what they truly need rather than what you think they need is crucial because those are two completely different lenses.

It's the child's life that is being affected; however you help them whether it's a good or bad thing, the child will be the one who is affected. Yes, it is a big transition for you, but think of how much of a change it is for the child to be leaving the place they are used to, going with strangers, potentially not understanding the language, etc.

From Orphanage To Home. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://adoption.com/from-orphanage-to-home

https://adoption.com/from-orphanage-to-home

https://www.unicef.org/uzbekistan/en/stories/growing-

orphanage#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20time%20of,on%20a%20family%20support%20system.

https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/caqdevelopment.asp#:~:text=The%20first%20five%20years%20are,child%20care%20experiences%20and%20activities.

Georgette Mulheir: The tragedy of orphanages | TED Talk

Miracle Foundation | International Nonprofit Organization For Children

• Unrealistic expectations

• Lack of preparation

• Inadequate counseling

Most of these issues take place in the transition phase from the child living in an orphanage to bringing a child home.

• Legal representatives like adoption lawyers

• Adoption agencies and local child welfare agencies

• Social workers

• Pediatricians - they help with physical, medical, mental, developmental, and emotional care.

• What are your motivations for adopting? Are you ready for this lifelong decision and commitment?

• Are you able to provide a caring, nurturing and stable environment for your child?

• Do you have access to adequate support services and healthcare your child may need?

• Are you willing to advocate for your child’s health and well-being in various settings (like at school and in hospital systems)?

• Are you willing to educate yourself and your family as much as possible about the special physical, mental, developmental and emotional health needs of your child?

• Do you have a strong support system of friends and family to lean on?

• Similar to what we talked about in class, there are stages in a child's life that are considered critical and sensitive.

• If children are not taught those crucial elements in the time they are supposed to be taught, they will have a much harder time learning them or even may never learn them.

• With children who spend time in an orphanage, especially children who are older, once they get moved into home-care, sometimes it is assumed that they know basic life skills. However, oftentimes they are not prepared for life after orphanage care. They have not been taught basic skills such as how to shop, cook, or manage money.

• For younger children, the first five years are especially crucial for physical, intellectual, and social-emotional development. It is vital that the needs of children between these ages are met. If they are not, the child may develop attachment issues, trust issues, and other interpersonal connection issues.

115,343 children are adopted each year

1 out of 25 families with children have adopted

95% are open adoptions

114,000 foster children are eligible for adoption

58% of children spend 2-5 years in foster care

-While adoption is a wonderful thing, for children who have spent time in an orphanage, it can also prove to be a difficult and confusing thing as they transition from the only world they may have ever known into your world.

• Children who need adopted are removed from difficult situations  and unsafe environments. 

• Focus is on reducing immediate suffering from a natural of man-made crisis.

• “Stop the bleeding”

  -Rehabilitation-

• During this phase the focus is on providing the basic needs of the child and enabling them to grow and thrive.

• Giving them time, making them feel safe, and providing the care the child needs.

  -Development-

• Help them meet their goals in life.

• Graduating and finding a job and their family still supporting them through it all.