It's not always easy to find families to adopt children with disabilities, but one little boy has been luckier than most. He was born with a brain disorder which left him intellectually disabled, and his own family felt they were unable to care for him. But he was soon adopted by another family. He's five years old now and the whole family is devoted to him. But there are other children with a range of disabilities such as Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, deafness and blindness who also need families to care for them.
Some children have intellectual disabilities, others have physical disabilities and some have both.
Because some of these children come from different ethnic backgrounds, the adoption agency, Anglicare, and the Adoption and Permanent Care Service of the Department of Community Services need families of similar ethnic backgrounds to adopt or foster them. These children have real potential but need families with time and patience who are prepared to accept the fact that these children learn at a slower pace. It's good if they can be matched with families of the same cultural background - this helps the children understand their roots. Besides being prepared to accept, love and care for someone else's child as their own, adoptive families also need to acknowledge a child's original family and, if possible, help the child have contact with that family. They also need to help the child know about his or her adoption and background.