The way to a fitting child profile
The Romanian authorities expect detailed statements on the child profile. You can get the current template that ANDPDCA expects from the central adoption office of the youth welfare office.
​As a couple or as a single person who wants to have children, you are faced with an almost impossible question: Which child can you not imagine in your family? It is a question that is answered by fate and genetics for birth parents. You have to deal with it yourself.
Our first, spontaneous wish for our child: healthy, preferably a baby, smart, pretty.
Only gradually did we approach a profile that is based on the children who are waiting for parents in the Romanian support system. Because: You don't choose a child. You offer a family to a child without parents.
So let's look at the information available about these children:
Statistics: Number of children for intercountry adoption
As of September 11, 2023
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Gender:
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1,956 girls (41%)
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2,861 boys (59%)
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Age
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0-2 years: 24 children (1%)
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3-6 years: 568 children (17%)
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7-13 years: 3,425 children (82%)
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14-17 years: 800 children (0%)
Siblings
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Alone: 3,112 (65%)
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2 siblings together: 1,292 (27%)
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3 siblings together: 314 (7%)
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4 siblings or more together: 99 (1%)
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Source: Own request to ANDPDCA No. 29369 dated September 11, 2023
Age, gender and number of siblings
The statistics show:
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Compared to 16 international adoptions in 2022 a large number of children are waiting for adoption. So if there are longer waiting times for the child proposal, it is because the desired profile and profile of the children do not match. Important: Every "no" to individual illnesses/restrictions reduces the chances of placement. The more open your child profile is, the easier the placement will be.
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Children for international placement are at least three years old. If you want a younger child, we recommend national adoption or long-term foster care in Germany, because an application in Romania simply makes no sense. There is a great need for long-term care at German youth welfare offices.
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A quarter of the children should be placed with a sibling. This is the case when there is a healthy and positive sibling relationship so that the separation would not be in the best interests of the child.
During the reflection phase, we purposely met friends with children of different ages to see for ourselves what ages we could imagine.
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Also, see if you can imagine having twins or siblings. We are very happy that we have our two girls, but we also don't want to hide the fact that it is many times more exhausting. One thing is certain: if you agree to take in siblings, it should be clear (more than in any case) that both parents are involved in raising children and in the household.
Health
The child's acceptable state of health is queried in detail. The categories include (among others):
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Chronic diseases
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Mental disabilities
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Physical disabilities
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In this area we want to give you the following information:
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If you are not absolutely sure that you are excluding something, tick “yes” and limit your “yes” in the text of the application. Because in Romania a matching process is first carried out in the computer. For example, if you tick “no” for “chronically ill”, all children with neurodermatitis (an annoying but treatable skin disease that I myself have) will be excluded, although you probably didn't think of it when you answered “no”.
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In Romania, classifying a child as “disabled” leads to higher payments to the employed foster mother. This is a false incentive that can be the reason for incorrect assignments as "disabled".
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There are four levels of disability in Romania (details e.g. here ): light (usor), medium (mediu), pronounced (accentuat), and severe (grav). All four levels can be assigned, even if no restrictions on the child's activity and participation levels are found.
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In the case of intellectual disability, symptoms are classified as disabilities that can also be triggered by the trauma of losing the parent or the change in placement. They are therefore not permanent but can improve again. These include, for example, aggressiveness, depression, hyperactivity.
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Physical disabilities are also not necessarily permanent but can often be treated.
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It needs to be assumed that the children in the Romanian support system generally are lagging behind in their learning and development. But our experience is that they catch up very quickly.
Parents' history
In addition to the criteria that concern the child himself, questions are asked about the parents' history. Again, they particularly refer to health issues, for example:
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Known alcohol consumption during pregnancy
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Known drug use during pregnancy
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Disabilities of the mother or the father
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This is an area in which there is a different amount of information depending on the child. For example, we ourselves ruled out the mother's consumption of alcohol and drugs, but then received a child proposal that could not answer this question.
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As a general note: The consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on the child can be drastic. Therefore, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome" (FASD, information for example here ). The older the child, the better at least severe brain damage can be ruled out based on the child's development, even if no information about the mother is available.
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Many of the children in the Romanian youth welfare system come from backgrounds that are characterized by extreme poverty and a low level of education. In our opinion, there is always a risk of alcohol being consumed (and probably this is rarely noted in the profiles).
What if it doesn't fit?
The child profile remains a difficult consideration, in which we do not want to advise in "one direction".
You are always faced with the dilemma that you wish that even children with severe disabilities and older children find a family, but you also have your own limits. You have to take these limits seriously because you decide to live with your future child.
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In case of doubt, you have the right to reject a child proposal. This is a tough decision, but it can also be necessary. In the end, a child should find a family that can fulfill its needs.