Adoption Voices

The Emotional & Physical Care Class of Young Adopted Children - Online class

The Emotional & Physical Care Class of Older Adopted Children - Online class
 

International Adoption from a Hague Country:

Sec. 96.48 . . . Preparation and training of prospective adoptive parent(s) in incoming cases.  For those completing international adoptions from Hague countries, each of these classes accounts for four (4) certified Hague Adoption Education hours.  Upon completion of the class and submission of the evaluation form, you will receive a certificate issued by Dillon International confirming your adoption education credits.

You are anxiously waiting for a referral of a child.  Between now and the time your child arrives home is an excellent time to take our class on the emotional and physical care of newly adopted children.

This class is focused on the care of children between 6-24 months of age at the time of their arrival.  This class prepares you for those first few weeks and months after your child has joined your family and how to meet those specific needs with more care and confidence.

The class was developed by two adoptive parents (One mom is a social worker and the other mom is a registered nurse.) by drawing from their own personal experience of adopting international children as well as from their combined learning experiences working with other international adoptive families.  These two adoptive parents had observed that internationally adopted children have unique needs upon arrival into their new families which weren't being adequately addressed by other means of "new parent" education classes.

The nurse instructor will cover such topics as the physical care of children, including eating and sleeping habits, how to change a diaper, when to be concerned about your child's health, good things to take with you on your trip overseas to receive your child, and things you should have in place when your child arrives home.

The Dillon International social worker will cover such topics as bonding and attachment issues, discipline, and setting limits with your child as well as the importance of establishing spiritual values in your home and how to handle racism.
 

For adoption purposes, children over the age of two are considered as "older children."  Unique challenges and joys face families who adopt an older child.  Many questions go through the minds of prospective adoptive parents.  What is it like to live in an orphanage or foster care?  Are there suggestions that will help me deal with culture shock when I travel to bring my child home?  What kind of medical problems might my child have?  How can I help him/her develop a sense of belonging  to our family?  My son is no circumcised.  what should I do?  What are the common issues children from that country have?  How soon should I enroll my child in school?  What if he/she arrives with religious or political beliefs that differ from mine?  How should I discipline my child?  When do I need to seek outside assistance for my child and me?  My child has been physically and sexually abused.  What resources are available to us?  What do adult adoptees who were adopted at an older age have to say about their experiences?  These are only a few of the questions that will be answered during this workshop.

This workshop was prepared by Karin Price whose personal and professional life has been touched by older children who were adopted internationally.  She is the Director of the Adoption Education Center at Dillon International and brings over 25 years' experience as a professional social worker and educator.  She is an adoptive mother and has a son by birth and a daughter by marriage.  Karin has traveled to other countries, worked in orphanages and lived in South Korea and the People's Republic of China.  She has written several adoption-related articles and has spoken at regional, national and international conferences.  She serves on several adoption committees and is a board member of the Indiana chapter of the North American Association of Christians in Social Work.

We would like to thank those parents, professionals, and adoptees who have contributed to this class.
 

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