It's time to define...

What is an Orphan?

At first glance, that question may seem to have a very obvious answer. It did to me....four short months ago. Since then, my knowledge in regards to adoption, orphans, and waiting children has grown exponentially. I’m going to ask now, if you choose not to read this post in its entirety, will you please take a moment to scroll down and read about waiting children before closing your screen. 

An orphan, by dictionary definition, is a child who has lost both parents through death, or, less commonly, one parent. In other parts of the world, the term orphan may also be used to describe children whose parents have lost legal or physical custody for a number of reasons. Other terms used also include “total orphan”, “double orphan”, “adoptable”, or “waiting” to more specifically describe the child’s situation. 

Currently, UNICEF estimates the number of orphans at 210 million worldwide. To put that in perspective, the US population is currently estimated at just over 300 million. 

What is an Adoptable Orphan?

Now, here comes the clincher. NOT ALL orphans are adoptable. In fact, only 10% are adoptable- meaning 90% are not. This means, MANY children will remain orphans without the hope of adoption. There are many reasons for this....some international countries do not allow adoptions at this time, a child’s birth-parents may still retain birth rights even while the child is in the orphanage/foster care, some children become displaced in the system making it difficult for the appropriate paperwork to be processed (critical to allowing immigration to another country), and so on. We can sit around and be frustrated by this fact, or we can believe that this is the very reason God has blessed us with a burden/drive/passion/interest/love for the orphan. Regardless of the reason, once we have this knowledge (which now you all do) we must meet that child where they are. If adoption is not an option- then let’s sponsor a child, let’s contribute to a meal fund, let’s get creative with our time and talents and care for them in the BEST possible way. 

What is a Waiting Child?

And now for the question that burns on my heart daily. What is a waiting child? A waiting child is just that....a child who is waiting. Many of these children are “paper ready”- meaning the appropriate paperwork has been completed and they are “ready to adopt”. These children are typically older than five with no special need, part of a sibling group, HIV positive, children with a hearing or vision impairment, or developmental delay. OK, so the next question is “why are they NOT being adopted?” Well, this question also has multiple answers. The first and harshest being- nobody has pursued them. Although the number of families wanting to adopt has increased, these children often do not fit the profile of what the family is seeking. Some countries/agencies/home studies do not approve families to adopt out of birth order (which may limit the adoption of an older child). Additionally, a family must be approved for a special needs adoption. However, it cannot go without saying that many families are seeking infants- and infants (unless special needs) are not considered waiting children- because in many cases they have not yet been born. (*Please do not mis-read me- we NEED families willing to adopt infants as well. That is also part of solving this crisis.*) However, we also need to ask ourselves- What was my purpose in choosing to adopt? And- how does my answer bring hope to the 210 million children already classified as “orphans”?

Adoption is a lengthy lengthy lengthy and involved process- and much of that cannot be changed due to the extensive paperwork process- but in many cases, the wait can be drastically reduced by loving the child that is already waiting for YOU.