THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 20, 1996 TAG: 9601200026
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
I hope ``The adoption option'' (article, Dec. 26, 1995), will encourage other families who are exploring adoption.
Many adoptive families are choosing to adopt the many children who are waiting for permanent homes in the United States and around the world. Children of all ages are awaiting adoption in China, India, Russia, Brazil, Bolivia and Vietnam, to name some. Population explosion and economic hardship have made it difficult for these countries to take care of their own.
Many families have shied away from international placements because they have heard that the cost for these adoptions is higher than for many adoptions in the United States. Loans and grants are available through the National Adoption Foundation working jointly with NationsBank.
Anyone interested in finding out more about international placements and funding can call United Methodist Family Services in Virginia Beach at 490-9791.
Thousands of American children are also waiting for families through Special Needs Adoption programs. These are children in the foster-care system whose birth parents can no longer care for them. Many of these children are of minority race, most are over the age of 6, and many are brothers and sisters who need a home together. These children often carry the emotional and behavioral problems developed from histories of abuse or neglect. They desperately need families to provide them with love and stability.
There are no fees for Special Needs Adoption in most cases. More information about children waiting for families in Virginia can also be received from United Methodist Family Services.
JANE WIMMER
Virginia Beach, Jan. 4, 1996 by CNB