As is often the case in time of tragedy, the care and concern of Americans is shown through their generosity. We have seen evidence of that again following the earthquake in Haiti. Coloradoans have stepped forward in a number of ways to provide needed help and support.
It has been heart-warming to see many Haitian children who were already in the adoption process being welcomed by their waiting parents at the Denver airport. Many others will be coming to open and hospitable adoptive families. But the “rescue” of these children from their destroyed orphanages is only the beginning of their recovery.
Families who have adopted a child from another country or from within our own know adoption of children is often accompanied by serious issues that must be faced by the child, the new parents, and other family members and friends. We know that the children who were well into the adoption process in Haiti were already orphaned. They had already had to deal with the trauma of losing their birth parents.
Now they have endured a second major loss – the loss of the only home they had as well as the loss of caregivers and even friends their own age. And now they are happily joining Colorado families.
At the Mental Health Center of Denver, we work every day with children who have experienced trauma in their young lives, children who must deal with the resulting emotional disturbance. It is important that families who have taken these Haitian children into their homes and those who are hoping to take a Haitian child to know that support from child and mental health professionals can help to deal with the aftermath of their experience.
Adoption professionals are well aware of the issues that “older” adoptive children and their families must work through; the addition of another major trauma in a child’s life will only multiply those issues. So to the adoptive families, “Thank you for making a difference for your new family members. It is our hope that you will seek supports to help with the transition of your children into your hearts and homes.”
Carl Clark, M.D., is chief executive officer of the Mental Health Center of Denver. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
