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GOOD DEEDS
Seeking the right connection for kids

BY NINA MAMIKUNIAN

Darlene Allen, the executive director of Adoption Rhode Island, believes the amount of care that adoptive parents can give to a child is far more important than the size of their house. For children waiting in foster homes or state care, the perfect parent may be single, gay or lesbian, or of a different racial or ethnic background. The perfect parent may be someone from the child's past, a former coach or teacher. Allen focuses on the individual child and the individual prospective parent to find the best match.

Adoption Rhode Island (ARI) was founded 19 years ago when the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) identified a significant need in raising awareness about adoption in Rhode Island. The small, Pawtucket-based nonprofit is funded through corporate, foundation, and private support. Seven staffers are supplemented by volunteers with a variety of skills, from answering phones to designing newsletters and event planning.

ARI works hard to get the message out that adoption is an issue in Rhode Island. "Because Rhode Island is a small state, our numbers don't compare to states like Massachusetts or California," Allen says. "But to the children waiting, the need is just as great as any other child in any other state."

At any given time, between 100 and 140 children are waiting to be matched by ARI with families. Between 50 and 60 of these children are placed in permanent homes each year. The children in need come from a variety of backgrounds and many have a history of abuse or neglect. They are generally school age, between six and 16, though some are as old as 17 or 18. As Allen says, "No matter how old you are, you still need a family."

Allen also chairs a statewide coalition on adoption called Special Needs Adoption Coalition. She has worked in counseling, family preservation, foster care, and adoption programs, acting on her belief that every child deserves a loving, permanent home. Allen's leadership at ARI was recognized in September, when she received the Angels in Adoption Award from the Congressional Coalition for Adoption in Washington, DC.

She remains "interested in developing more supports and reaching out more into the community, so that more people are aware of us and can help us with our mission." For details, visit www.adoptionri.org or call ARI at (401) 724-1910.

Issue Date: December 6 - 12, 2002