Good friends of ours are in great trouble. They felt called to adopt. They have 5 biological children. Some more would be great. They traveled to South America and returned with a sibling group of 4.
Imagine all the horror stories that you've heard about adopting children from Eastern Europe, attachment disorder, sibling rivalry, and it might be possible to understand what this family has been through for the past two years.
They have tried everything to keep these children. It is not working in their family. Please consider telling anyone who might consider adopting the two older girls. Please read the description below.
Background
A family made up of a dad, mom and 5 biological children, adopted a sibling group of 4 children from a country in South America in June 2007. The adopted children are now 13—girl, 9—girl, 6—boy and 3—boy. The children came to the family with no English. The 13 yr. old had been in the orphanage since she was 8 yrs. old. The 9 yr. old girl had been in the orphanage since she was 4. The 6 yr. old boy was in the orphanage since he was 1 ½ yrs. old., and the 3 yr. old boy was brought to the orphanage one day after his birth.
Individual Summary
J. is a 13 yr. old girl. She is healthy, athletic and very motivated to learn in school. She was homeschooled the first year with the family and attended public school her second year. She is a star soccer player and is a natural athlete. She is a hard worker when given chores and tasks to do; these would include cleaning a bathroom or helping folding clothes.
She struggles with deeper, more personal relationships. Her English has improved tremendously but she struggles to communicate her feelings in English or Spanish. When she gets really frustrated she wants to isolate herself in her room.
E. is a 9 year old girl. She is healthy, active and more interested in dolls and crafts than sports but enjoys kicking a soccer ball too. Her English is progressing very well, and she enjoys doing her school homework. She was homeschooled her first year and attended public school (4th grade) her second year.
She was seen by a counselor and was diagnosed with reactive-attachment disorder. She is “huggy” and “smiley”, but has a history of stealing and lying. Her behaviors have caused a great deal of stress in the family. As the family increased vigilance and restrictions in her freedom, the stealing subsided.
1 comment:
Hi. Someone contacted me about this situation. I have adopted through a disruption a few times and have helped many families in one way or another who were facing the decision of disruption. Just wanted to reach out to this family.
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