CMS adoption programs

Margaret Ellett, associate executive director of CMS, explained that the special needs program places children with non-correctable medical problems, such as cerebral palsy, HIV and neurological impairments, as well as older children in the foster care system. These adoptive families, she said, usually have strengths in dealing with special needs, have a lot of support and have already raised children.

For foreign adoptions, CMS serves as the local contact doing the home study, post-adoption follow up and state finalization while a foreign adoption agency actually matches a child with a family. Foreign adoptions typically take less time than agency adoptions, with a turnaround time of a year to 18 months.

Fees for adopting vary. CMS charges no fees for special needs adoption. The foreign adoption fee is seven percent of the adoptive family's total gross income, not to exceed $3,000. Adopting a healthy infant costs 12 percent of the adoptive family's gross income. There are also non-refundable registration fees, which vary according to the type of adoption.

While the wait to adopt may be discouraging for some parents, myths about adoption discourage others. Ms. Ellett said there is a lot of negative publicity about failed adoptions.

"We don't get enough publicity for the positive aspects," she said. "For every adoption you see in the paper that goes wrong, there are ten that go without problems. Adoption is a risk, but it is a pleasant way of expanding a family."

(For more information on Community Maternity Services, call 482-8836.)

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