Iowa will get nearly 400-thousand dollars in federal money as a reward for sparking a 44-percent increase in the adoption of children with special needs. Charlcie Carry is adoption program manager for the Iowa Department of Human Services. She says many of the children have a physical or mental disability or emotional or behavioral problems. She says many are in foster care due to some type of abuse or neglect.In one year, D-H-S placed 744 children with permanent families. Waverly resident Nancy Magnall, and her husband, adopted an infant ten years ago who had tested positive for H-I-V and suffered sleeplessness and other problems because his mother used drugs during pregnancy.In 1990, that child, Andrew, was thought to be the first child adopted in Iowa who had tested positive for H-I-V. Later, it was learned that first test had been a false positive. Magnall says she glad she adopted her son and accepted the challenges and responsibilities.D-H-S officials usually have about 130 special needs children who are waiting to be adopted.
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