This post was made by Amy Eldridge the founder of "Love Without Boundaries" in response to the question what is the percentage of "special needs" children in orphanages in China?


I just had a meeting in Beijing last month about these very
issues and it is still running about 80% of special needs versus non
special needs. We have helped over 120 orphanages now, and that
runs consistent with the numbers we have been given by each
individual orphanage. We always ask for a breakdown on their kids
before we begin a project. Normally for every healthy baby that
arrives, 4-5 kids with medical needs come in. I think as we
continue to see the success of China's "Girls Count" campaign, the
number of healthy children being abandoned will continue to
decline. As you mentioned, in one orphanage we recently visited,
out of 87 kids, only 3 were NSN. Of course, as I met each child,
all I saw were completely adoptable kids. I think the CCAA is doing
a wonderful job of encouraging SWIs to submit more and more kids
with medical needs for adoption. I hope the numbers just continue
to climb. In my daughter's orphanage, just a few short years ago
they didn't even realize that kids with SN could be adopted. This
year they will send FIFTY files to the CCAA. What a cause for
celebration!

As you know, the CCAA has now started a domestic adoption campaign
and has set up an office to handle domestic adoptions (it is in its
early stages). I hope that if the number of "healthy" babies
available continues to decline as more and more Chinese families
realize that adoption is a wonderful way to form a family, that more
and more international families will come to realize (as those on
this list have) that the waiting child route is a wonderful one.

I know that it was mentioned that someone didn't see SN kids on
their orphanage visit. Often, many cities have separate facilities
for children with SNs, but they are under the same governing
umbrella.

After repeatedly seeing the love and agony that birthparents feel
for their kids with medical needs, I do believe in my heart that the
vast majority of times it is a lack of funds for medical care and/or
extended family that lead to abandonment. I can't even tell you how
many times we have done a surgery on a newly abandoned child and
healed them that I have wished for a magic way to tell the
birthparents...."they are healed....come back and get them." But
of course that is sadly impossible.

Amy E.