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Working With Children With Special Needs
In adoption terminology, children with "special needs" refers to children of color; those who are older; children with siblings; or those with a medical, physical, or emotional condition or disability that results in the need for adoption or medical assistance in order for them to be adopted. There is no Federal definition of special needs and there is considerable variation in the definition from State to State. Many of the children who are in the States' public foster care system meet the special needs guidelines and are available for adoption. Find information in this section about children who may qualify as having special needs as defined by their State.
- Older children and youth
- Children of color
- Children with disabilities
- Sibling groups
- After an adoption disruption or dissolution
Adoption Assistance by State
Administrators of the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (AAICAMA) & Child Welfare Information Gateway
Access each State's definition of "special needs" along with other information about State adoption assistance programs.
| Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted From Foster Care | |
| Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
| Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability: | View Download (PDF - 369KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
| Year Published: | 2011 - 5 pages |
| In every State there are children with special needs waiting in foster care for adoptive families. The most recent data estimate that 126,000 children are available to be adopted from foster care. In the past, the costs of care and services were major obstacles to parents who would otherwise adopt and love these children, and most were not placed for adoption. The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 provided the first Federal subsidies to encourage the adoption of children from the nation's foster care system. These subsidies, known as adoption assistance, serve to minimize the financial obstacles to ... | |
Child/Youth Assessment and Preparation
National Resource Center for Adoption
In Adoption Competency Curriculum: Trainer's Guide
Includes trainer preparation materials for a module that focuses on caseworker roles, policies, and procedures in child/youth assessment and preparation, older child and youth adoption, transitioning children and youth from foster care to adoption, and the adoption of sibling groups. Also available: Participant's Handbook
| "Special Needs" Adoption: What Does It Mean? | |
| Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
| Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability: | View Download (PDF - 281KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
| Year Published: | 2010 - 6 pages |
| This factsheet presents some common questions about adopting a child or youth with special needs and provides resources that will give you detailed answers. | |
Special Needs Adoptions: How States Define Special Needs (PDF - 151 - KB)
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Adoption (2004)
Reviews how States determine which children are considered to have special needs for the purposes of adoption.