Toolkit designed to help parents looking to adopt HIV-infected child

By Staff Writer

The nation's largest adoption agency, Bethany Christian Services (BSC), has created an HIV Adoption Toolkit for couples who are considering adopting children who live with the disease. According to the organization, more than 1 million orphans around the world have HIV/AIDS.

Bethany organized a team of medical and psycho-social professionals in order to craft the toolkit. The resources include counsel on disclosure, advice on building a support network, frequently asked questions, details on treatment as well as information on the differences between HIV and AIDS. The kit also aims to help parents plan for preparing teenagers for safe sexual decision-making.

Sara Ruiter, the international services coordinator for BSC, said that couples need to understand the medical and emotional requirements that the child - and the family - will face following an adoption.

The kit also contains insight on how parents can become educators and advocates that can help dispel the stigma that is associated with adopting children who have HIV/AIDS.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) reports that more than 500,000 children in the U.S. are currently in some form of foster care, which is a number that has increased over the last decade.