Andrew Is Aging Out!

Aging out is when a child becomes unadoptable due to their age and the legal process in either the child's country or the country of an adopting parent. There are many aging out children listed HERE. You can also see the children we have shared in past weeks HERE. There is still time for some of the children we have shared before to be adopted if families act quickly! They are all eligible for at least $10,000 older child grants to assist with adoption expenses. Some grants are over $20,000! You can email childinquiry@reecesrainbow.org for more information about any of these children!

Those older child grants are pretty amazing. The funds were pooled for the older children to allow the grant money to help any older child with special needs listed on Reece's Rainbow have available funding. It is already harder to find families for older kids, and having funds available to help families who feel prepared to adopt these kids is a huge help! Right now there are 17 remaining older child grants for children with special needs other than Down syndrome. If you would like to donate to that older child grant fund you can click on the donate button on their page HERE. There are also 50 remaining older child grants for children with Down syndrome. You can donate to that fund by clicking on the donate button on their page HERE.

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Andrew is this week's aging out child. His country allows married couples or single mothers. Many of their requirements can be waived for aging out children, with the exception of parents needing to be over 30. Andrew will need his adoption to be completed before he turns 14 in August 2017. A family could start from scratch and complete his adoption in time, or he could be added onto a current adoption. He is eligible for a $10,000 older child grant to assist with adoption expenses. Visit his profile HERE or email childinquiry@reecesrainbow.org for more information! The other child who was going to be posted has a committed family! Awesome!

Andrew's special need is albinism. He is a typically developing kid. Andrew has spent most of his life in a foster family. Andrew sounds like he is in a very caring foster home, from his description. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to albinism in his country. As an adult employment, relationships, and other areas can be more difficult.

Andrew sounds like a very kind and caring boy. He has seen one of his friends adopted. It seems like he does want to be adopted but he also feels the loss that can come with that.

There is a lot of loss in older child adoption. It is difficult, because in a lot of cases it is the best situation for the child. Foster families in this country typically can't afford to continue caring for children when they are adults, even when they love them and wish they could. In a perfect world international adoption would not be the best choice. Adoption in the child's country, programs supporting families to continue caring for foster children or to help families keep their children to begin with, all of these would be much easier transitions for the children.

The problem is that even while working toward better options, there are kids waiting. These kids need something now. They need families now. Cultural shifts toward inclusiveness of those with differences are great, big, amazing things. They are what turn the tide. Cultural acceptance is great, and in the long run it will make the biggest difference to the most children.

At the same time all of these kids are already waiting for families. They need help NOW. That is why we are here. We are fighting for the kids who would be left behind. We are going to bat for each individual child, because none of them deserve to be sacrificed while they wait for bigger changes to happen. I hope Andrew will be able to find a family who will help him reach his potential without being limited by a minor special need.