Hey Guys, I got this off another list. Any suggestions for her?
Dan V >At 10:38 PM 1/19/2007 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: > >Question: You stated that you testified in the state legislature, how does >one go about that? I am an adoptive parent and have adopted 2 ventilator >dependent children (did not have them both at home at the same time). One of >them came from an institution in California. It took us two years to get him >out of the institution. The institution did not want to let him go. We were >very fortunate that he had a great lawyer and judge or he would still be >living there. He was 3 1/2 when we brought him home and had never been >outside the institution except to go to dr/hospital. Now he is 7, in a >regular kindergarten class. Runs in and out all day (in his great electric >chair). He is doing great. > >As an advocate for waiting adoptive children I am very concerned about >medically fragile children living in institutions. I am talking about the >kids that are available for adoption. The institutions have alot of authority >about wether a child can leave or not. For example, we have been fighting New >York for 5 years trying to get a legally free now 13 year old boy out of an >institution. The institution will not allow him to leave. I have written >everyboby I can think of, including Hillary Clinton and have gotten nowhere. >Does anyone have any ideas on where to advocate for these precious children? >Also, I would like to write my masters thesis on this issue but have been >having an awful time getting statistics on numbers of children living in >institutions throughout the country. My best guess is thousands, and most of >these children will live their entire life in an institution. We are putting >babies in institutions. No matter how good an institution is, I do not >believe it is the answer if there are other options. >If anyone here has any ideas on how to collect data regarding numbers I would >love to hear from you. Also, if anyone has any ideas on who to contact that >may be interested in this issue I am willing to try talking/writing to anyone. > >Thanks, >Nora in Michigan
