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Forever Families: Agency finds permanent homes for children |
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By Cori Cain
of The Daily Times Staff
Since 1976, when then-Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis declared adoption week, citizens across the country have continued to recognize the issue. It wasn't until 1990 that the week became extended into the entire month of November, a product of President Gerald Ford's presidential term.
Since the earliest National Adoption Awareness Month celebrations, the United States has reserved this time as a chance to raise awareness regarding adoption, particularly that of children still in foster care.
An overview of National Adoption Awareness Month on adoption.org's Web site states that, "During the month, states, communities, public and private organizations, businesses, families and individuals celebrate adoption as a positive way to build families."
Many activities, such as public awareness and recruitment campaigns and special events focusing on the children's needs, go on throughout the month to raise awareness to the public. The celebration also includes National Adoption Day, which is commemorated by courts finalizing numerous adoptions simultaneously.
The demand for adoptive parents is widespread throughout the country. In the state of Tennessee, there are over 1,000 children in need of adoptive parents, according to Harmony Adoptions, a Blount County agency.
Many of the same questions regarding adoption arise among prospective parents. Some include questions regarding the process itself, cost, who can adopt, and what kind of assistance is available previously to, during, and following the adoption process.
Various organizations work to provide as much information as possible to parents considering adoption.
The Department of Children Services works closely with agencies and other programs to create the best possible opportunities for children waiting to be adopted.
In Blount County, Harmony Adoptions provides resources for those interested in adoption. Started in 1996, this agency's mission is to "... provide facilitate, and create innovative adoption services that advance the well-being of children, families, and communities."
Executive Director and Founder Pam Wolf started the organization based on a personal realization she had during her own adoption experience. Wolf, the adoptive mother of a child from China who is currently 12 years old, saw the depth and needs surrounding adoption problems and wanted to help others understand the aspects of adoption by improving both education and support.
The adoption process at Harmony operates in two phases — the education phase and the investigative phase.
The education programs at Harmony give prospective parents tips and guidelines regarding what to do and expect when raising an adopted child.
The investigative phase focuses more on leading the parents through background checks, interviews, and the application process.
Like many adoption agencies, Harmony provides opportunities to adopt local children as well as those overseas.
According to Wolf and Adoption Services Director Pam Frye, there are three different options when it comes to adopting — infant domestic adoption, international adoption, and adoption from the state.
Infant domestic adoption refers to the adoption of a newborn usually directly from the hospital. International adoption requires close correspondence between agencies to ensure efficiency in the process.
Although alternative options are available in the area, Harmony considers domestic adoptions of children in this area their most frequent route.
Wolf noted that her agency records around eight to 12 domestic placements per year and may assist around 30-50 families per year as well.
Harmony Adoptions has also grown to become the largest agency in East Tennessee, according to Wolf.
"The important thing is the child. The focus needs to stay on (them). The child is our client; they guide everything we do," Wolf said.
She noted that sometimes it almost becomes a sort of competition between agencies regarding what type of adoption they facilitate, which is not the goal at Harmony.
"Helping families find the child that is right for them is our goal," said Frye. Harmony does this through their focus on educating the parents about their options and what they should expect regarding the actual child and adoption in general.
"Harmony's goal is to have the best prepared, most educated, and healthiest families for kids," said Wolf.
Along with Harmony, other programs and agencies located in the area seek to promote adoption.
The Youth OPEN Program, of Child and Family Services of East Tennessee, is an ongoing program devoted to promoting the adoption of teens about to grow out of the state's custody.
The program holds the same firm belief on education as that of Harmony.
The Youth OPEN project is available to youth in Tennessee ages 12 and older who have been in the state's custody for more than 12 months, youth whose adoptive or pre-adoptive placements have been disrupted, youth in residential treatment centers and congregate care, youth for whom the state is having difficulty finding an adoptive or other permanent placement, and especially those youth who articulate resistance to adoption.
The Youth OPEN program varies from actual adoption agencies in that while they strongly encourage adoption as a permanency option, their main focus is helping children develop any kind of permanent connection that is available.
The program does this through various means. Once a month, there is a retreat at which both prospective adoptive parents and the children they may adopt are in attendance.
The program also includes help from Youth Leaders who facilitate programs like Speak-outs and the Warmline. Speak-outs share with the community the adoption stories of the children and facts regarding the issue itself. The Warmline is a support system in place for the children who are involved in the program.
They can call in with questions regarding adoption, permanency, and other common concerns.
Adoption is a viable option for beginning a family. Many children go through life never having that permanent connection with another human that those born into healthy families experience.
National Adoption Awareness Month seeks to inform the public and provide that opportunity for every child.
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