What Age Adopted Child has the Best Outcome?

I was recently reading the June 2006 Issue of Adoptive Families Magazine and found something very interesting that I want to share with you. Under "Adoption News and Notes" it states, "A review of 29 studies and other information on children adopted from orphanages in Romania, Russia and China showed that the most consistent indicator of ongoing problems is the length of time spent in orphanage care [...] children in care a year or longer were at higher risk for cognitive delays and behavioral problems."

Prior to adopting my son, I spoke to a lot of experts in the field of adoption. While you'll find varying opinions even among experts, three main points were consistently made. The first was to a child age two or under. The second was to be very selective during the referral process (regardlessss of the country you adopt from) so that you can be sure you are prepared to provide the love and support that the child will need. The third (and very important point) was that the majority of adoptive children do very well once they are placed within a good, caring home. If you are thinking of adopting or already in the process of adopting you may want to consider these points.

While many pre-adoptive parents understand there are likely to be cognitive delays associated with a stay in an orphanage, they may not have thought as much about the behavioral problems that may result. Behavioral problems should not be underestimated, as they tend to be very stressful for any parent, adoptive or otherwise, to deal with. Therefore, there are some questions you may want to ask your agency, including, "How long has my child been in an orphanage?" "Where was my child prior to being placed in the orphanage?" "What is my child's temperament like?" "How does my child react to people?" Of course, you'll want to share this information with your international adoption doctor so that they can help you make an informed decision on what is right for you. Don't have an international adoption doctor yet? You can find a list of international adoption doctors on the Adoption Links page of ThinkingOfAdopting.com.

While I would agree that children that are in orphanages for shorter times seem to adjust better, I do not want to discourage anyone who wants to adopt an older child. I have seen many very happy older child adoptions as well. And, only you know what's right for you. The key is to talk to other adoptive parents about the challenges they have had with their children and how they overcame them. In this way you'll be prepared to provide your new child with the love and support that they'll need.

Robin Bartko