Help Wanted - Adoptive Parents for children in Foster Care

Diane Tomaz of the Massachusetts Adoption Resources Exchange (MARE) talks about adoption and the needs of the children waiting in foster care.

Many of these children have special needs.  Addy is a good example.

Addy is a 4-year-old Caucasian girl who continues to make tremendous progress in her growth and development. Addy has some developmental delays and a genetic condition called Micro-duplication syndrome, which can present as having Autism like symptoms and behavioral challenges. She will need to be formally re-evaluated in the future to determine if she still falls on the Autism spectrum due to the tremendous progress she has made.

Addy attends pre-school with the support of an Individualized Educational Plan. She is no longer in a self-contained classroom due to the gains she has made and she is now in an integrated preschool program. Addy’s speech has also increased and she continues to receive speech therapy at school to assist with her speech delays.

Legally freed for adoption, Addison will need a family that is prepared for her needs and the unknowns that come with it. A family that has parenting experience would be preferred.

Addison will need a family that is able to keep her in contact with her younger sister and grandmother with four to six visits a year. She also has an open adoption agreement with her birth mother for post-adoption visits.