Children with Special Needs
I am a social worker with Bethany Christian Services, and I am also a parent of a child with Down syndrome. I will admit that raising a child with a special need can be extremely difficult at times, but it is also very rewarding and full of joy. We had never imagined ourselves being parents to a child with special needs, but God knew best! He has given us the grace, patience, and perseverance to handle the difficulties that come with parenting our daughter. He has also laid it on my heart to find homes for children with special needs. My heart hurts for children in other countries who are deemed unimportant and forgotten simply because they have a special need. Children are often left in corners or tied to cribs, and they are later sent to “Institutions for the Handicapped.” These children desperately need forever families to love and nurture them, to stimulate and encourage them, and to give them value and worth.
Many of the children in need of families have Down syndrome, but we have over 300 children with a variety of needs. Some of them are healthy but simply older children. Some of them were born premature, and some of them are wheelchair-bound. Some children are members of large sibling groups. In addition, there are children with missing limbs, paralysis, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other genetic conditions or diseases. Children often come to us from backgrounds of neglect, abandonment, mistreatment, and parental alcohol and drug abuse. Others become available for adoption because of extreme poverty in their country, which can cause malnutrition, developmental delays, and medical issues. Some children will have lifelong needs and will require lifelong care. Many children are abandoned, so there is only limited social and medical information about them.
There are many advantages to adopting a waiting child with a special need. There is no wait time for a referral of a child, and the child is your direct referral. Also, there are opportunities for single women.
Some organizations provide grants to help parents afford the adoption of specific waiting children. Most countries reduce fees for the children with a special placement need, and families have an opportunity to apply for a grant through Bethany's Caring Connection Fund.
Bethany needs families willing to accept the limitations and challenges of these children. When a family adopts one of these children, it is not a journey they will walk alone. Bethany's experienced staff will prepare, train, and help find resources specific to the children. We also see that God uniquely prepares the families who are taking on the challenges that come with adopting children with special needs. To learn more about these waiting children, please contact either me or Bonnie Deur at 641.628.3247.
Leah Garland