Several readers have asked about where to find information on adopting children with Down syndrome.
Try visiting adoption.org. They have a page of links to agencies that specialize in facilitating adoptions of children with Down syndrome. You can also call adoption agencies in your area and ask them whether they have a program for adopting children with special needs, specifically Down syndrome. If they don’t, they can refer you to an agency that does.
You may want to contact your state’s Department of Social & Health services in your city (also known as social services) and ask for the children’s division and/or adoption services. They may have young children with Down syndrome waiting to be adopted from the foster care system.
Be sure to contact Down Syndrome organizations and
associations — ones in your area and nationwide. They can give
you information about Down syndrome in general, and may be able to hook you
with up with others who have adopted. I
always find that it’s best to talk with someone who has actually done it, as
that gives you the most realistic picture of what it’s like to parent a child
with Down syndrome.
Readers, please comment if you’ve investigated adopting a child with Down syndrome — let us know what you’ve learned and additional places people can look.
Check out my entry from February 27, 2005 for more on adopting children with Down syndrome.
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I’m an adoptive mother to a child with Down syndrome… here are some links worth checking out…
An active Yahoo group about adopting children with DS is http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/down_syndrome_adoption/?yguid=99656586
I also maintain a site called Trisomy 21 Online Community. We do have a DS Adoption Board there but it is not very active (although it would be great to get some new activity). The link to that is http://www.network54.com/Forum/256538
Adoption Star is an agency worth checking out… http://www.adoptionstar.com/
Here is Adopt a Special Kid… http://www.adoptaspecialkid.org/
Riverbend Down Syndrome Society has a great information page up and they have one page specifically about Down syndrome which is http://www.altonweb.com/cs/downsyndrome/adopt.html
Research Facilities and Support Organizations that specialize in DS are also great places to contact.
If you’re interested in International Adoption there used to a program in Russia where they were looking for adoptive parents for children with DS but I can’t remember the name of it. If you do a search on Russia/Down Syndrome/Adoption it may come up.