When I first went to India 17 years ago to meet my daughter, Devi, I was shocked to see all of the beautiful children in the orphanage that were still waiting for their family to come and get them.  At that time, the children were told that they were there only to wait for their families.  They were told this over and over, each time a child left the orphanage.  Usually younger, usually a baby girl, but to the waiting children, it seemed to never be one of them.  Eventually, their adoptive families came for them, sometimes they aged out of the orphanage system, and sometimes…. sometimes they just seemed to be forgotten.   

The orphanage director asked me to help find families for their waiting children and so I returned from India, not only with my daughter, but with a new purpose for my life.  I have been advocating for the children of India ever since, but now I seem to have hit a roadblock.  There are over 600 waiting children in India, with special needs ranging from very mild to severe, boys and girls of all ages. 

There is a particular group of children that we have been advocating for that just haven’t been able to find their families yet.  These children are healthy, beautiful, attending school and the only problem they have is being labeled HIV+.   In fact, these children are all on the proper medication and have a normal life expectancy!  These children love to sing and dance, play sports and draw.  They are so full of life and love and deserve to be in a loving forever family.  In addition to young school aged children, India has many waiting babies and toddlers that have HIV but are otherwise healthy.

 …medical science has made HUGE advances in the treatment of this disease. HIV is now a chronic, but usually manageable, disease.  The fact is, science and medicine have come so far that “we would rather treat pediatric HIV than juvenile diabetes,” says Kenneth Alexander, M.D., chief of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Chicago. “If you look at how well our medications work, there’s no reason not to expect that [children with HIV] will one day see [their] grandchildren. (Creating a Family, n.d.)

Back when I adopted my daughter Devi and my son Tommy, Hepatitis B was considered a special need.  I did the research and decided that it was a condition I could easly handle.  We joke at our home often about how healthy they are.  They don’t even seem to catch colds!  I want to urge you to do some research to see if one of these wonderful children may be the perfect fit for your family.  A good place to start is right here at RainbowKids and their many resources for HIV and many other special needs.  

The following are the written profiles of children with HIV who are available for adoption. No photos of the actual children can be posted on the internet. India allows photos of a waiting child to be shared with families who are homestudy approved. 

• Gina is a darling little girl who will soon be turning 8 years old. Gina loves school and likes to study on her own.  She would benefit from having a family that would help her with her great desire to learn.  Gina lives in one of the best orphanages we have ever visited.  The children are loved and well taken care of in what seems like a family environment.  The children attend school and, in addition to regular studies, are taught singing and dancing.  Gina is HIV+ but otherwise healthy and active. 
• Alice is a very pretty little girl that is turning 8 this year. She attends school where in addition to her studies, loves learning to sing and dance. Alice lives in one of the best orphanages we have ever visited. The children are loved and well taken care of in what seems like a family environment. The children attend school and, in addition to regular studies, are taught singing and dancing. Alice is HIV+ but otherwise healthy and active.
• Todd is a little boy turning 9 this year. He is very outgoing and friendly and popular with the other children. Todd lives in one of the best orphanages we have ever visited. The children are loved and well taken care of in what seems like a family environment. The children attend school and, in addition to regular studies, are taught singing and dancing. The boys are also encourage to play cricket and soccer. Todd is HIV+ but otherwise healthy and active.
• Zina is turning 10 this year and longs for a family of her own. She is very good in school and popular with her classmates. Zina lives in one of the best orphanages we have ever visited. The children are loved and well taken care of in what seems like a family environment. The children attend school and, in addition to regular studies, are taught singing and dancing. Zina is HIV+ but otherwise healthy and active.
• Landon is a very good looking little boy who will turn 8 this year. His efforts are average in school, as he prefers sports. He would benefit from having a loving family that would encourage his love of cricket and soccer, while also helping him set and accomplish goals in school. Landon lives in one of the best orphanages we have ever visited. The children are loved and well taken care of in what seems like a family environment. The children attend school and, in addition to regular studies, are taught singing and dancing. The boys are also encourage to play cricket and soccer. Landon is HIV+ but otherwise healthy and active.
• Chad is a bright eyed little boy turning 7 this year. He attends school and is very social. Chad lives in one of the best orphanages we have ever visited. The children are loved and well taken care of in what seems like a family environment. The children attend school and, in addition to regular studies, are taught singing and dancing. The boys are also encourage to play cricket and soccer. Chad is HIV+ but otherwise healthy and active.
• Gary is a little boy turning 7 this year. He attends school daily. He is a little shy, but friendly with other children. Gary lives in one of the best orphanages we have ever visited. The children are loved and well taken care of in what seems like a family environment. The children attend school and, in addition to regular studies, are taught singing and dancing. The boys are also encourage to play cricket and soccer. Gary is HIV+ but otherwise healthy and active. 

India welcomes Single Women and couples must be married for a minimum of 2 years. 

Other special needs we are seeing in India include mild cerebral palsy, repaired cleft lip/palate, limb differences, delayed milestones, thalesemia, low vision, low hearing, strabisimus, ambiguous genatalia, etc.  Some are just there because they are a little older.  Please contact me at lisa.a@chiadopt.com or call 360-383-0623,  for more information on the waiting children of India.