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
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