Other Considerations

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The majority of special needs listed on Rainbowkids are physical in nature.  This area serves as a 'first stop' for families considering the adoption of a child with medical needs.

However, there are many children who have needs and hurts that cannot be seen by the eye. These include emotional issues, delays largely due to a child's early years spent in an orphanage, past traumas, and attachment and behavioral concerns. 

There are also children who are considered "special needs" largely due to their age.  They are hard-to-place primarily because they are above 9-years-of-age.  Many children entering their "tween" years are socially, emotionally, and behaviorally doing very well!  These children need experienced families (those with realistic expectations and patience) who are open to taking an "older" child who may need time to adjust, but has the potential to settle into a family and have a solid, productive life.

Additionally, there are two very difficult situations that some children find themselves in. 

Ageing Out:
The first happens when a child is about to "Age Out" of being eligible for adoption. By the laws of many countries, a child may only be adopted up until a specific birthday.  Sometimes this is 13 years of age. Sometimes it may be as high as 16.  As a child approaches this cut-off age, they are in the very real and desperate need of a family to complete paperwork to adopt them as quickly as possible.  For these children, there are no exceptions. They must have a family match with them and complete their adoption before they reach a specific birthday.

Second-Placement Adoption:
The second difficult situation happens when a child is adopted by a family...and for various reasons the adoption must be dissolved.  These adoption situations are sometimes called Disruptions or Dissolutions.  It is imperative that these families receive counseling and support. Unfortunately, it is sometimes determined that the child's best chance to thrive would be in a new family.  It is imperative that these situations be handled legally and through an adoption attorney and/or licensed adoption service provider.  The first adoptive family may NEVER directly place a child into another home on their own.  That is illegal.  On RainbowKids, there are a few children listed in this difficult situation. These listings are placed by legal adoption service providers who will carefully screen interested families before offering additional information on the child.  RainbowKids does not direclty list this information, nor will we respond to any inquiries about a specific child by a family.  Please use the form listed with each child. This form will go directly to the legal entity that is working towards the placement of the specific child.  On RainbowKids we refer to this type of adoption as a "Second Placement". 

9 Years Plus

When a child reaches the age of 9, their chance of finding an adoptive family is very remote. For this reason, we classify these children as having a special need. Many of these children have positive social skills and a... Read more about 9 Years Plus.

AGEING OUT

When children cannot return home to their families, adoption service providers must move quickly to find them alternative homes. As time goes by, the prospects for landing in safe, loving, permanent homes grow dimme... Read more about AGEING OUT.

Attachment Issues

Attachment is extremely important in every parent-child relationship. This is especially true with kids who are adopted or in foster care. When emotional, psychological, behavioral, or learning difficulties arise with ch... Read more about Attachment Issues.

Second Placement

There are times when  a child is adopted by a family, and for various reasons the adoption must be dissolved.  These adoption situations are sometimes called Disruptions or Dissolutions.  It is impera... Read more about Second Placement.

Trauma

Trauma can affect children’s brains, bodies, behavior, and ways of thinking. It can also be treated! All children in need of an adoption placement have been exposed to some form of trauma. But many children in... Read more about Trauma.