International adoption; issues to expect

October 24, 12:52 PMAdoption ExaminerMarcie Pickelsimer

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Any child who lives in an institutional setting knows that it is a lousy place to live. Growing up with day care workers instead of parents or even loving caregivers does impact child development, and parents should recognize just how much it can affect their children.

Quality of orphanage care does vary greatly by region and even institution. Example; one city orphanage can be better than another due to agency and post-adoptive family funding. Some international countries also have better care than others because of cultural expectations.

However, all children who have been institutionalized will suffer from the following:

• growth delays
• sensory processing disorders
• developmental delay (gross, fine motor)
• emotional delay
• social delay
• delay in daily living skills

According to a study in 2000, forty-four percent of children had delays in three or more of those areas. It is said that most children will make up these delays with love and care but love and care only go so far. Getting help for those delays right away is always a good idea.