The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) has announced that it will be hosting "adoption parties" in an effort to connect would-be adoptive parents with children from traditionally hard-to-place demographic groups.

Amelia Hill of The Guardian reported on the controversial effort in an Aug. 30 article:

The agency hopes that the controversial events will increase the chances of finding homes for young people repeatedly passed over by potential adoptive parents, such as those aged over five, sibling groups, children of black and minority ethnic origin, and those with mental and physical disabilities.

"This is not just about putting some jelly and ice-cream in a parish hall and inviting everyone along," [said Mo O'Reilly, director of child placement for the BAAF]. "We are going to hold these parties professionally and in the best way that we know how, and we are pretty optimistic that these parties could be a success."

About 10 families and 20 children will be invited to each event, which will take the form of a children's party, hosted in community centres by the prospective parents themselves, who will organise group games and one-to-one activities.

There will be no prior matching between children and adults, but the families invited will have expressed interest in the "type" of children present. The BAAF hopes that at least two children will find a new family at each event.

Sue Cotton, who heads the British charity Action for Children, told The Guardian that she was concerned about the effect that the parties will have on children who attend but do not end up being adopted. However, she did acknowledge that new ideas are needed in the effort to place more children in adoptive homes.

"Children who know that families are being sought for them will always risk feeling rejection, but meeting the adults at the party will make the letdown even stronger," she said. "We can't welcome this idea because we don't know the effect on the children. But it is clear that staying as we are is not an option."

Labels: international, hard-to-place youth

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The Tennessee woman who put her adopted son on a plane back to Russia isn’t the first parent to have trouble with an adopted child. Chip and Julie Harshaw had also adopted a son from Russia. At first, he seemed like a great kid, but before long he was displaying extreme and dangerous aggressive behavior.

“He has threatened their 5-year-old biological daughter with a steak knife and a two-by-four, and held her underwater in a pool… Therapeutic programs have ejected Roman for kicking, biting, hitting…” (Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin)

Roman was eventually diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and brain damage. His IQ is just 53, and it’s unlikely that he’ll ever be able to live independently. The Harshaws have sued the agency that facilitated their adoption of Roman, claiming the agency failed to fully disclose his condition. The Harshaw’s troubles raise questions about the degree to which adoption agencies disclose physical and mental health issues in children.

 

Labels: international, Russia, health, hard-to-place youth

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments