 |
|
My Turn Now, Inc., is a not-for-profit advocacy organization which helps publicize the availability for adoption of children with special needs. These children are either members of a minority race, handicapped, over the age of seven, or members of a sibling group that needs to be adopted together – in other words, those traditionally considered to be unadoptable. Such children often linger in foster homes, waiting for "forever families," while many potential adoptive families are prevented from opening their hearts and homes to them by misconceptions and lack of information.
Photolisting of Available Children (Last Updated 5/9/2008)
Special Note: The My Turn Now Information Request Form is back. You may also call 1-800-603-1322 or send an email to My Turn Now.
My Turn Now: The Problem
Approximately 250 Georgia children with special needs are available at any given time to be adopted. Unfortunately, most of these children are raised in temporary foster homes, where on the average of every eighteen months they are moved to a new home and given a new set of parents. These moves entail entering a new physical environment and forming new relationships, as well as severing existing ties.
The toll on the individual lives of the children who are raised this way is great. In addition to being subject to constant changes and disruptions, these children also are being deprived of the opportunity to invest in the formation of stable and lasting relationships which are essential to emotional security and healthy, productive development. Besides the emotional trauma caused the child, the cost to the taxpayer of raising a child in foster care is about $8900 per year. Furthermore, the fact that the adult prisons and mental hospitals are filled with people who, as children, did not have stable, nurturing homes indicates that, both to the individual and to society, the long term cost for unadopted children can be staggering.
My Turn Now's Response
Since its inception in 1980, My Turn Now has been changing this distressing scenario. In a public-private partnership with the Georgia Department of Human Resources, My Turn Now has published and updated bi-monthly a listing book containing photographs and descriptions of Georgia children with special needs who are eligible for adoption. Currently over 1,400 of these books are in circulation nationwide, the majority of them disseminated throughout Georgia. In addition to the photo listing books, My Turn Now promotes special needs adoption through posters of waiting children, talks to community organizations, special displays, and church bulletin inserts and flyers. Volunteers respond to inquiries, guide prospective parents through the adoptive process, provide links with others in similar situations and offer information and referral to other community resources.
My Turn Now's Outcomes
My Turn Now has received thousands of adoption inquiries, with the numbers increasing each year. These figures prove that there are families willing and eager to extend their love and commitment to children with special needs.
The awareness generated by My Turn Now is significant in getting these families together with the waiting children. My Turn Now is not a placement agency, but it offers adoption information, referrals, support and advocacy. The success of My Turn Now indicates that there is a family for every child who waits, and the agency is committed to proving this by bringing these special families and special children together. Clearly, not only are these children and families served, but our entire society benefits.
| Return to Top of Page | Return to Home Page | Return to Services |
My Turn Now, Inc. and DHR Office of Adoptions makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of its web pages, however this information is provided without warranty. Furthermore, from these Web pages you may link to other sites on the Internet which My Turn Now and DHR Office of Adoptions does not control, support or endorse, and for which My Turn Now and DHR Office of Adoptions accepts no responsibility whatsoever. Additionally, the publisher of this web site does not authorize anyone to duplicate any information on this site onto any other site. Other web sites are required to request permission from My Turn Now, Inc. and the DHR Office of Adoptions prior to linking to this site.