Why is background information important?

In any type of adoption (agency or independent, domestic or intercountry), involving children of any age, it is important to obtain as much thorough and accurate medical, genetic, and social history information as you can about your prospective child. While adoption, like any form of parenting, involves a certain level of risk, background information is useful for the following reasons:

• It enables you to make an informed decision about accepting a child. When you have complete and accurate knowledge of a child's needs (medical or emotional) prior to placement, you will be better able to determine if your family is prepared to care for this child. You are also able to consider whether you have the emotional and financial resources to meet any special needs that may be identified for the child.

• It may enable you to access Federal or State adoption subsidies available for children with special needs. Adoption subsidies (sometimes called adoption assistance) are available for some children with special needs. Not all children will qualify for adoption subsidies. The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse fact sheet on Subsidized Adoption (http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/f_subsid.cfm)  is one source for more information.

• It provides an opportunity for your child to develop an accurate sense of his or her own history. Without accurate information, adopted children may develop unrealistic fantasies about their history or may blame themselves for the separation from their birth families. They may feel disconnected from their past or like a piece of themselves is missing and incomplete. As they grow older, they will also lack information critical to their own childbearing decisions.

• It provides an opportunity for early diagnosis, treatment, and intervention for developmental problems and conditions. Knowledge of medical problems or genetic predispositions in a child's birth family may help you diagnose and treat conditions more quickly. Knowing whether a child has been tested for a specific disease or condition, and the results of such tests, avoids duplicative testing.