Happy Thursday everyone!
The Washington Times recently did an interview with Dr. Jane Aronson, who is renowned for her work in adoption medicine and is the founder of Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO), which works with orphans and communities in third world and developing countries.
We have mentioned in previous posts that the number of international adoptions by US parents has dropped steadily since 2004, but Aronson and WWO are looking at other options to help these children. http://adoptionstar.com/child-placement/international/
Aronson said she would like to see funding in these communities that would allow for other care options besides orphanages. She also believes many of these children can be helped just by being engaged. In the article, Aronson said that that these children need to be exposed to “medical care, education, art, music (and) athletics.”
One idea that Aronson and WWO are working on is the “granny model, where orphaned children are placed with older women, who can help raise them.” This seems like an interesting option to help many of these children. It may not be a forever family, but the idea seems to be that these children would receive one-on-one attention and feel the love of a parental figure.
If you are considering international adoption, Adoption STAR has programs in Hungary and Bulgaria. The Adoption STAR website also has a section devoted to helping you choose between domestic and international adoption.