New Trends in Adoption: For All the Right Reasons

 Posted on May 30, 2014 in Children

According to a recent article by Joe DiDonato, Co-founder and Chairman of The Orphan Foundation, adoption is experiencing new found advancements driven by a completely new set of personal motivators. No longer does the word "adoption" equate to couples experiencing infertility or solidifying the blended step family. What the Foundation found by implementing a grant program shows a totally different aspect of the adoption process.

With the acceptance of grant proposals by the Foundation, what the Board has found is that adoption is now geared toward helping children worldwide, often those with special needs releasing the stereotypical notion of why families turn to adoption.

Listed below are two examples of the first three proposals submitted to the Foundation for grant consideration.

California – West Coast

A woman hailing from California and the first recipient of the Foundation’s adoption assistance grant, described herself as a mother with a very big heart but also one with an even larger collection of outstanding bills. At the time her grant submission she was already in the process of adopting a special needs child from China. Since the child experienced the loss of his one ear, he was labeled as "hard to place". The woman from California begged to differ, since children afflicted with these types of physical abnormalities are often institutionalized in their native country.

The child had one last chance for placement. The California native would not take no for an answer. A single mother, with three special needs children and insurmountable bills made arrangements for the child to visit the UCLA Craniofacial Center to replace his missing ear. The Foundation and an anonymous donor funded the adoption and medical costs. The child is now a member of a very special family in California.

New York – East Coast

A New York woman was determined to locate the brother of the two girls her and her husband adopted from a war-torn orphanage in Liberia. The ostracities the orphanage experienced during the civil war was beyond belief motivating this kind hearted New Yorker to realize her quest. As fate would have it, the parents of the child had brought their son to the orphanage to say goodbye to his siblings, but also begged the New York couple to take him as well since they were living in unimaginable poverty and in fear of military upheaval. Sadly, the New York couple could only process the adoption paperwork for the two girls, leaving their brother behind. They needed more time and money, thus submitting their grant proposal to the Foundation.They are still awaiting the approval of the adoption petition by Liberian officials and live everyday filled with hope that their quest will soon have a joyous ending.

DiDonato and the Foundation Board were quite surprised at the depth and perseverance of these humanitarians working toward changing the stereotypical view of adoption in our country. No longer can we assume that all adoptions are initiated due to the inability to conceive or the desire to have a perfect child in our lives. This is a new breed of prospective parents with a whole new agenda and outlook on life. The Foundation has gratefully opened its doors to foster continued success of this type of new-age of adoption.

To learn more about the Orphan Foundation and their grant assistance program, visit their website at www.theorphanfoundation.org.

To learn more about the legal process of adoption, consider contacting A. Traub & Associates in Lombard and Arlington Heights, Illinois. Our experienced team of family law attorneys understand the legal complexities of the adoption process both domestically and internationally. Even more so, we understand the need for all children to experience the safety and comfort of a loving home. We want to help make that dream a reality for both the child and the parent. Contact us today at 630-426-0196 for more information on how we can assist with your personal adoption quest.