The Rewards of Adopting Older Children

August 2007

Waiting for a child is extremely hard and emotionally draining, particularly when it seems that everyone else has what you want the most - a baby. But stop and think about how it must feel to be a child with no family. There are millions of children in our world who desperately need a home. Most of these children are not infants, but they are still young enough to need holding, cuddling, security and most of all, they need love. They need parents to read them a bedtime story, to teach them to ride a bike, to hold them when they are hurt, kiss them good night and make them feel safe and special.

Every child needs and deserves to have a loving, protective family. Too many are not given this opportunity because they were relinquished or orphaned after infancy. Rather than adopt a slightly older child who is in need of adoption now, many prospective parents still wait until they can bring home a baby. For every single baby adopted today, there are hundreds of older children who continue to grow older as they watch little ones leave an orphanage. Most of them are healthy and desperately want to have a family.

While those adopting an older child will need special preparation, the rewards are absolutely amazing. The world is no longer a lonely place for a child who has a family. Many older children have never had the experience of having their own clothes, toys or books. In all probability, they never spent a day at the beach or had a picnic. They may never have had a ball to bounce or seen a kite. A plentiful meal may be unknown, much less a snack. Each day the changes are remarkable as an older child sees the world through new eyes.

For parents who bring such a child into their lives, the world is forever changed. The rewards are endless, for this child now has a promising future. And for children who come into a family at an older age, the world is no longer a lonely place, as it was before adoption.

Too often, toddlers, preschoolers and school age children are overlooked when people consider adoption. Yet, given the chance, an older toddler or older child can provide enormous joy and tremendous rewards to a family. An adoptive family can help make the world less lonely for one very special child. Give this some serious consideration if you are thinking of bringing a child into your life through adoption.

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