One place to start is by reviewing our previous article, ?Adopting a Child with Special Needs, where we provide valuable tips about adoption, including using reputable agencies to facilitate the process. The next option to consider is to foster before you adopt. “Studies?estimate that about 33 percent of kids who enter foster care have a chronic health condition, and more than half of children under five in foster care have developmental challenges,” (How Families Are Advocating For Children With Disabilities In Foster Care, by Claudia Boyd-Barrett). Therefore, chances are high that if you adopt a child with special needs, they will be coming from the foster care system, so fostering?before?adoption can serve as a valuable resource to you in the short and long terms. 

Defining “Special Needs” 

?The foster care system is primarily regulated at the state level, and the fostering process starts when a child in need is referred to the state Child Protective Services (CPS) for temporary placement. While parents considering adopting a child with special needs may have an idea of what those needs could encompass, it’s important to note that the specific definition of “special needs” varies by state. Generally, foster care agencies?apply the term??to any child who may have a harder time finding a permanent adoption placement due to being: 

An older child 

Of a particular race or ethnic group 

Part of a sibling group who must be adopted together 

A child who has some type of medical condition 

A child who has physical, mental, or emotional disabilities 

The term can also be applied to a child that is not considered?“healthy” at birth. According to?consideringadoption.com, the most common disabilities of children in foster care are Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Shaken Baby Syndrome, or other brain injuries. 

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