Absolutely.
l was referring to stats that stated that 21% of interviewed parents doing the study said that the current 35 weeks prevented them from adopting a child with complex needs. Well, a lot of our children who are waiting for permanency do have complex needs and are experiencing loss and trauma, which require so much more time.
I fundamentally believe, especially with older children.... When I grew my family, people thought, “Oh, you can sleep at night.” Well, no, excuse me. It doesn't mean that it was rosy and easy at home just because my children were eight, 11 and 13. There was so much sadness and grief. It was not easy.
I truly think that our older children especially need more time from us so that they can really know that we are there for good, that we're there.