Thursday, July 22, 1999
Adoption process going high-tech with videos
BY DAN KLEPAL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
If a picture is worth a thousand words, moving pictures are worth a million. That's the theory behind a program the Hamilton County Department of Human Services will launch in which children available for adoption will be videotaped so prospective parents can see them playing or interacting with other children.
Hamilton County has more than 100 children available for adoption. All have “special needs,” which range from behavioral problems to learning disabilities and medical concerns. Most have suffered abuse or been neglected.
“It's no mystery why 60 percent of our kids are adopted by foster parents,” Human Services spokeswoman Mindy Good said. “The kid is in their house, the parents get to know the child, and they realize that his or her problems can be dealt with.
“Some people just think that special needs kids are damaged goods. But when someone sees the child running around kicking a soccer ball, hopefully they realize that's not true.”
The $124,000 program was approved by the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday. The first of the videos will be ready in October.
Each video will feature children of a similar age, with a 30-second spot on each child.
Paul Cohen, section chief of the county's children's services, said the video program will not change the procedures for adoptive parents to gain full custody of a child.
“It's just another tool we hope will increase the pool of adoptive families,” he said. “When you hear a child has "special needs,' those are very emotionally charged words.
“We want this to be the first thing the parents see. The video will represent the child honestly, but in the best possible light.”
Potential adoptive parents now choose children from a brochure that includes a black-and-white photo and a paragraph about the child and his or her special needs.
The videotaping program has been tried in other parts of the country. Joyce Johnson, spokeswoman for the Child
Welfare League of America, said states are trying more innovative programs to place kids in permanent adoptive homes.
There are more than 120,000 children nationwide in need of a home, she said.
“Some states have adoptive picnics, place kids on floats in parades, or have adoptive fairs — anything to get the kids to interact with parents,” Ms. Johnson said. “We're in favor of any program that gets children into a family.”
In June, the department signed a $1.2 million contract to advertise for foster parents on radio, TV, billboards, buses and in newspapers.
Experts say there is a lack of volunteers willing to become foster parents, and the ads may influence them to get involved.
“We're doing everything we can to solve these problems,” Ms. Good said.
Barbara and Hobert Bishop of Colerain Township have adopted four children since 1994. Their adopted children — ages 15, 13 and two 12-year-olds — all have attention disorders and are hyperactive.
“The reason a lot of these children act out is because they're seeking attention,” Ms. Bishop said. “They feel disconnected because nobody has wanted them or loved them.”
Ms. Bishop said she thinks the video program will help place more children in loving families.
“Sometimes this could be the only way to pique an interest,” she said. “When we adopted my youngest, he kept thanking me after every meal.
“He said: "I'm never leaving. Even when I'm 60, I'll still be here at home.'”
And he'll always have a home to come to, she said.
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