http://www.co-brass.com/as_children_avai...option.htm
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Joe, I think that the adoption agency would not allow people with aspergers to adopt. I will email them and ask, but I am highly dubious that they would.
I think that the adoption agency would not allow people with aspergers to adopt.
Perhaps, but if that's their attitude, the first Aspie whose application gets refused ought to hire a good civil rights lawyer and sue them.
I wrote to them asking that as my husband and I have aspergers, would we still be able to adopt a child with aspergers. This is the repsonse -
This is a more complicated question than we can answer. Even if we knew
you better it would still be impossible to answer. Getting an approved
homestudy depends on a wide variety of factors, including your ability
to provide for a child. Then if you have an approved homestudy the
placement of a child is once again a comparison of your strengths and
the weaknesses versus the child's strengths and weaknesses. We have a
number of wonderful families who may be perfect for a number of
children, but they may not be right for a particular child. So there is
no way to answer your question with a simple yes or no answer. If you
are interested in adopting then you should get an adoption homestudy.
If a family is only interested in a particular child, then we would
normally discourage them from starting the homestudy process because of the number of factors that could prevent the placement of that specific
child with that specific family. I hope that helps and I wish you the
best with your planning. Patrick at NWAE
So it seems that at the very least, you cannot pick a specific child, ie an aspie child. You have to go through a process and then they assign a child that they feel is suitable for you.
The homestudy relies on the opinions of the social worker. period.
When the family has a high income level, they are more likely to be approved for adoption than one with a lower income.
The social workers feel that they should have the best interest of the child in mind. However, many children are left in foster homes and not adopted because of this. Foster families sometimes adopt the children but others will not simply because while they are fostering, they are receiving income for caring for the child. When a family adopts, they might be losing support available for foster families.
The fact that a small percentage of aspies have full time work (going by NAS statistics in the UK) it would surely be held against prospective aspie adopters.
You can be sure it would, Amy!
Stella
Do you make anything of the final statements he made about being interested in a specific child? Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but it sounded as though he was hinting at the concerns you all mentioned about the homestudy process (namely that Aspies shouldn't do it) and then suggesting another route - petitioning for adoption of a specific child. I don't know enough about the process to know whether that's a viable option (no doubt it's used more for cases like Brad and Angelina's:~)
Of course, the idea that 'certain' people have to subvert a system to access it is an affront itself - but I'm personally becoming used to it.
BTW - Hi everyone, I'm a newbie. So glad to have found this forum!
He was stating that people should NOT try and adopt one specific child. I dont know much about adoption in other countries, but in the UK we see people complaining how harsh the rules can be, such as being refused for being overweight.
Do you make anything of the final statements he made about being interested in a specific child?
Hi payoola, welcome to AFF!
I believe he meant that if a couple is interested in a specific child and would not consider adopting any other child, they should be aware of the risk that they could go through all the time and effort of the homestudy process, only to find that the child was adopted by someone else, or was not available for some other reason.
I don't think he was suggesting that Aspies shouldn't apply. That response looked like a form letter for couples who ask whether they would qualify to be adoptive parents.
I guess my interpretation (having worked in some social service settings) stemmed from knowing that some workers can sometimes play with the system in an attempt benefit ppl who they know are being discriminated against either due to unfair laws or policies.
(And thanks for the welcome :grin: )
such as being refused for being overweight.
Dear god
As bad as the litigation is in the USA, this would not be so blatant because of it and a group of overweight people could file a class action lawsuit.
Well there are so few babies for adoption in the Uk that there isnt even a list that people can be added to, in order to wait for one to become available.
For older children, refusal has been on grounds of religious affiliation, sexuality, smoking, weight, and job.
This thread is twigging me to do some research about adoption in Canada, as I have considered adopting an older child at some time in the future should it not work out for me to have my own.
What you're saying about the UK system is appalling. My own knowledge is limited to hearing debates on inter-racial adoption and homophobic opposition to gay/lesbian parents, so the idea of denials to parent based on weight etc. etc. is really out there.
In Ontario, Canada adoption is controlled by the region's children's aid society. Adopting a baby is near impossible unless you are wealthy and can afford to have one parent take leave from work for six months. Most people adopt foreign babies at $20,000 to $40,000 each (agency fees, travel expenses, documentation, the birth parents are not supposed to receive any money) A home study still has to be done even if using foreign agencies. It costs $3000 -$4000 for a home study.
You can become a foster parent for free. But you will have to take a medical exam, show financial records, do interviews and attend a training course. You will receive some money for each child you foster.
My husband and I just said no to adopting and foster care. Too many rules and you do not know what kind of difficulties these children will have. Most kids in foster care do not want to be there even if their parents are the worst people.