NEW UPDATE: Back in Their Arms
Each year our Orphan Hosting team has the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing and kindhearted families in the world, as they work together to bring children to America with the hope that they will find their Forever Families. Among these families from our 2015-16 Holiday Hosting program were “K” and “C,” a couple that welcomed a little girl named “L” into their family for four weeks. During their time hosting “L,” the two fell completely in love, immediately beginning the process to bring her home. Now, less than one year later, they’re in China finalizing their adoption and welcoming their daughter into their family forever!
Here are a few of their most recent blog posts from their trip. Check back soon for updates!
Today we were reunited with L at the Civil Affairs Office. Our guide, Kelly, helped us with some paperwork and we waited with several other families. She walked out wearing a beautiful white dress, pink headband, and pink sparkly shoes. She was immediately happy and smiling and called us mama and baba. We spent time looking at old pictures and videos on my phone. She keeps asking for Kinsley and wants to call her. We had to tell her she was asleep. She keeps says, “sshh Kinsley sleeping.” In the van on the way back to the hotel, she asked for jewelry and painted nails. This girl didn’t skip a beat and we picked up right where we left 8 months ago. Back at the hotel, she found her new shoes lined up against the way and immediately had to change. She had some ramen noodles. It seemed like she was starving and had two helpings. I delayed showing her her drawer full of clothes knowing that would instigate a wardrobe change. She pointed to the drawer all on her own and wanted to change. She pulled out several outfits but settled on a jean jumper. She also was focused on when we would be painting her toenails and fingernails so we accomplished that. Only tears were when we were running down the hallway to the elevator and she slipped and fell. The tears were pretty short-lived. We ran up to the lounge so C and I could grab something to eat for dinner. And she had a few snacks. Our evening was spent playing Candy Land, taking a bath, and reading books. A very successful forever family day!
China Adoption Finalization – 9.6.2016
So today we finalized our adoption as far as China is concerned. Today K’s sister, Lilly, was our guide. She was very engaged with L. Lilly asked her lots of questions and she answered. This is by far the most we have heard her speak. The great part is Lilly was able to translate for us during our van ride to the Civil Affairs Office. She told Lilly that she wants to be adopted and live in America. Sounds good to us kiddo. We met with two different female officials who asked us questions and completed our paperwork. We are approved and they are working to issue our final certificate.
After returning to the hotel, we let L explore the garden of the hotel, which includes the waterfalls and coy fish ponds. She also walked by the pool and spent a lot of time the playground. She loved going down the slide, especially if one of us startled her on the way down. We walked to an Italian restaurant for lunch. She ate some beef spaghetti like a champ. It was so hot and humid today that we were all drenched in a short period of time. The pool was calling us but we agreed that nap time was probably more important. Unfortunately, it was raining with thunderstorms whenever she woke up so we had to delay it. We played in our room and the beach ball I brought along was a huge hit. The rain cleared so we were able to “go swimming” in the kiddie pool.
We had dinner in the lounge here at our hotel and we have found that our girl has a deep love for prawns. We have no idea if this is something she had at her orphanage, but we doubt it. This was the one thing she picked out as we walked through the spread. So I spent most of my dinner, cleaning, peeling, de-heading, and deveining shrimp. She is not a fan of cocktail sauce after trying it and telling us it was hot. Last night, she had two shrimp. Tonight she devoured four large shrimp. We had a low key evening in the room and did some coloring. I see significant improvement in staying in the lines. We are also really impressed by her speech and vocabulary.
Medical Exam – 9.7.2016
Today was another great day of making memories. After breakfast, our official business for the day was having her medical exam completed which is one of the requirements to finalize the U.S. portion of the adoption. Our guide, Kelly, took us to the Guangdong International Travel Healthcare Center. First, L had her photo taken for her Visa. Then we went upstairs to the medical clinic where she made friends with everyone. The measured her height and weight, checked her eyes and ears, drew blood for her TB test, and did basic medical exam. Similarly to when she visited the U.S., she did not cry when they drew her blood. She has had a nasty, deep cough the last couple of days that we have been treating with over the counter meds. She was also a little lethargic this morning and has been running a fever on and off. Despite not feeling 100%, she has continued to be her happy and pleasant self. They prescribed an antibiotic because her throat was red and inflamed. She has had one dose so far and it seems to be helping.
We ventured out for lunch and went to the Noodle House near our hotel. Of course, she selected a picture with noodles and shrimp. She ate the best we have seen so far. We stopped by the playground to burn off some energy. When housekeeping came to clean our room, she watched intently and brought her one of the trashcans. She seemed concerned that they were removing the linens from our bed. She kept putting her hands on her hips and looking at me like “aren’t you going to do something?!” We have also noticed she is highly organized. Always wanting to put back what she has been playing with and straightening and organizing the shoes by the door.
This evening our hotel hosted a reception with food and live music for all adoptive families. L really seemed to enjoy the music. She “sang” along, danced, and bobbed her head to the music all night long. A few of the kids took turns getting pulled up on stage, and I could see she desperately wanted to be up there. We had to move closer and she eventually got her chance. I’m sure this was a highlight for her, but she did get a little shy once she was up on stage. She made some new friends and even shared some food with one of the little girls. It was great to mingle with other families although we see most everyone at breakfast. It was a great event and afterwards she thought we needed to eat again:)
Free Day #1 – 9.8.2016
Today we had another free day. At breakfast, we were reunited with the new friends we made at last night’s reception. We spent time playing on the playground and hung out in our hotel room. The days are going so fast and yet we are so ready to be home. This afternoon our guide, Kelly, took us on a shopping trip. Our first two stops were to pick up some traditional souvenirs. Common purchases are jade and pearls. She took us to the pearl market which was a multi-level building with literally hundreds of wholesale vendors. All types of jewelry were available.
Our excursion turned from shopping to learning pretty quickly as she walked us through several local “markets.” We walked along a pedestrian only street that was filled with people. She said Guangzhou has a mere 16 million. The street was lined with clothing stores. We turned down a side street and entered the “pet market.” This consisted of a whole section of vendors selling cats and dogs in crates. Then we entered the “herbal medicine market.” We saw all sorts of things but the worst was the bins of creepy-crawly scorpions. I still have creepy-crawly skin just thinking about it. Next, we visited the “food market.” Shoppers could buy fruits, vegetables, and meat. We saw a lot of fish and black-skinned chicken which is used for soup. Our senses were on overload with all of the unusual smells. She said it is common for younger people to shop at Walmart but people her parents’ age prefer to shop at the local markets.
We opted for McDonalds for dinner and also enjoyed some ice cream. Our two extra value meals and happy meal were less than $10 USD. As soon as we got back to our room, L thought we needed to eat again so we headed upstairs for a nightcap of shrimp.
Orphanage Visit – 9.10.2016
Today started out very early as we prepared to travel an hour and a half to Dongguan to L’s orphanage. It was an educating day and one filled with lots of emotions. We have been told it is one of the better orphanages which is mildly comforting. Due to the long drive, L had some carsickness but once we gave her some medicine she slept the whole way.
As we drove up, the main building looked very nice. L was an obvious favorite as many of the adults (nannies/caretakers) knew her and were excited to see her. As we walked around, we noticed how bright and colorful everything was. There was a lot of natural light and it seemed like a good environment for learning. We were able to see the sleeping area with bunk beds, bathroom, and classrooms. We saw a few older children but most were very young. We were told most of the school-age children were at the Sunshine Academy, a school affiliated with the orphanage but a few blocks away. One of the caretakers told a story that when L was younger, she would get up in the middle of the night and make her self a bottle when she was hungry (even when she was too old for a bottle). They all got a good laugh reminiscing about her.
L seemed to show minimal emotion during our visit. So we started asking some questions and learned that once the young children can take care of their own basic needs they are moved to a different building. Then they estimated that it had been three years since L had lived there. They explained that she was living in an outside dormitory. It isn’t a foster home but basically a small orphanage, maybe only 15 kids, with two to three nannies in a building offsite. Although we didn’t get to see where she lived most recently, we did see where she spent a lot of time.
L slept again on our return trip and we ate a late lunch at an Irish Pub. We both ordered cheeseburgers and ordered spaghetti for L. It wasn’t quite an American cheeseburger but the french fries were great. L didn’t want anything to do with the spaghetti and instead ate off of our plates. I even convinced her that coleslaw was noodles and surprisingly she ate it.
We decided it would be another great day to go swimming. The kiddie pool was closed today so we had to swim in the big pool. L was quite the fish. She loves watching the other kids and thinks she needs to put her face under the water too. She was much more relaxed and really seemed to enjoy kicking and splashing around.
Free Day #2 – 9.10.2016
We had another low key day today. We visited an H&M store right by our hotel and L enjoyed trying things on and having a fashion show. We also walked to Martyr’s Park which is several blocks from our hotel. Our hope was that L could play on the children’s playground. It rained on and off but we still enjoyed our afternoon out and about. The park was beautiful and the pictures do not really do it justice. The park included monuments, temples, tombs, pavilions, and a cemetery. There was live music playing in several areas, but the children’s playground was lacking so L just rode around in the stroller.
Tonight we went on a river cruise with two other adoptive families from our hotel and met several others there. The cruise consisted of riding on a boat for one hour and twenty minutes up and down the Pearl River. It included a dinner buffet. The guide told us to eat as soon as we could and not to wait. There was no organization or line formation; people would just go to the dish they wanted and often would remove the serving tongs to take to their next dish of choice. It was crazy. The food was okay but not anything special. The kids all seemed to love it. Leave it to my child to select chicken feet and proceed to eat them. It was disgusting! Our table was on the second level and after dinner, we were able to visit the open third deck to take photographs of the City at night. There was also an entertainer which made the children balloon animals and juggled. Many of the kids got to be part of the show. L really seemed to enjoy the evening with friends.
Free Day #3 Plus Sightseeing – 9.11.2016
Today was another free day for us. After breakfast, C and I got foot and shoulder/back massages. They applied much pressure but we felt very relaxed afterwards. L pretended to help and she was very patient. We grabbed lunch at OGGI which is a pizza place. It was a nice change and even L seemed to enjoy it. We did some boutique shopping near our hotel. L had fun trying on different dresses and twirling around. We were trying to kill some time because it was raining again. We were getting close to time on when we were supposed to be meeting our guide for sightseeing and it was not letting up at all. So we had to run several blocks in the pouring down rain back to our hotel. There were several inches of water in the road because the rain was coming down so quickly. By the time we made it back, we were all drenched!
Our guide, Kelly, took us and another family to the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall which is a family temple and not religious at all. It was one of the few activities we could do because it was partially inside to protect us from the rain. We toured the temple and viewed the intricate displays of wood carvings, porcelain painting, ivory carving and more. There were also several souvenir shops. After we were finished, we visited OneLink Plaza which is a multi-level wholesale toy market. It is a misnomer because they actually have many items in addition to toys (household, gifts, etc.). There were literally thousands of vendors. We wondered around and did some more souvenir shopping. It was great to be inside and out of the rain.
We stopped at the Guangzhou Friendship Store and ate dinner at a place called the Banana Leaf. They serve Thai food and L was thrilled to be eating noodles. This girl requests to eat noodles all day long and generally eats 3-4 servings per sitting.
US Adoption Finalization – 9.12.2016
Today we had our U.S. Consulate appointment to finalize L’s adoption. We were there with many other families who have become friends. Unfortunately, our bag and phones had to stay at the security checkpoint so we were not able to take any photos inside. All of our paperwork is finally finished and we will receive her VISA tomorrow. As soon as she lands on U.S. soil, she will be a U.S. citizen.
Afterwards, our guide, Kelly, took us and another family to Yuntai Garden. The park was really beautiful and full of bright, vibrant colors. This was our first day here that it has not rained which was nice but it was extremely hot and humid. After a short stroll around the park, we were ready to be done with sightseeing. We decided to spend some time in the pool. L likes to “swim,” put her head under water, and today C taught her how to blow bubbles.
We headed to dinner with our favorite hotel buddies. We went to an Italian buffet and L ate really well (3 plates full). The kids had fun playing together and I’m sure are going to miss each other when it is time to part ways. Speaking of which, we begin our trek home tomorrow. It has been an enjoyable trip and great bonding time, but we are beyond ready to be home. L wants to ride the airplane home everyday although she is not too eager to see Bessie, our dog.
We are so appreciative of all of the thoughts, prayers, and supportive comments during this journey to bring L home as our child.
Greetings from China!
I must admit this trip kind of snuck up on me and I still can’t believe we have already begun meeting out first group of children.
Normally I would never want to leave the states when our host kiddos are here but we are thrilled to be in a new region and we had to go on China’s time so here I am. It’s a bit quicker trip than normal but I am thrilled to be reunited with my travel companion, Celese!
I think I am getting used to the 13 hours flights because I feel like I blinked and I was in Beijing. I spent a night in Beijing and then took the four our flight to Urumqi where I met Celese.
I have been told how lucky I am to go to Urumqi, I have been anticipating this trip for quite some time. There are not very many International adoptions in this region and I am excited to be a part of making that change. Our guide here Lily, is guide for many adoptive families that travel to this region. She told us last year there were less than 20 adoptions in this region and in our first day we met almost 20 kids that we think would do great in the hosting program! There are a lot of domestic adoptions done with the younger kids in this area but like everywhere, it’s the older kids that get passed over and wait. It’s these older kids that need a voice, it’s these older kids that need to know what it’s like to be a kid, it’s these older kids that my heart aches for.
So this morning I am sitting here looking out the window at the dancing nannies in the streets the beautiful snow capped mountains in the distance and I can’t wait to get back to the states to be the voice for all of these kiddos.
This adorable young man stuck out to me yesterday, his smile was infectious! He told us when he grows up he wants to be a musician. He is so smart and was so excited to talk to us and sing for us. He was born with Spina Bifida and Cerebral Palsy so he doesn’t walk straight but I don’t think he realizes it cause he is so determined and such a happy kid. He has been at the orphanage his entire life and at 11 years old, I can only imagine where he could be now if he had started physical therapy when he was younger. So he needs a family that loves music like he does and can teach him to play all of the instruments, because that’s what he wants to accompany his beautiful singing voice! Stay tuned for that video but for now check out his precious smile!
We are off to meet several kiddos today and I hope to write again tonight.
(Pardon typos and such, usually I have Cayce to brush up my blogs back home, but as our schedules have it, she is in Latvia and I am in China)
-S
Read MoreHosting Arrivals – Group II Has Landed!
The Arrival
Hosting arrivals are a very emotional and exciting time for everyone involved, from the kids that have just flown for many long hours to get here to the families and staff members that have been eagerly tracking their flight’s status each step of the way. While the timeline for hosting is much quicker than that for adoption–as you can go from being matched with a host child to having them in your home in a matter of weeks rather than months or years–the emotional journey that families embark upon is quite similar. Once our families are matched with their host kiddos and flights are booked, they spend every day leading up to the arrival feverishly preparing for the whirlwind of hosting an orphan. They prepare the child’s room, schedule fun family outings, prepare welcome posters, and so much more! And when the day finally comes, they stand anxiously in the airport waiting for a group of kids to flood the hallways.
For the host kids, however, the journey is much different. Yes, they’re excited to spend the next month having fun with a family in America, but they’ve just traveled for hours to get to a country where they don’t understand the language to stay with a family that they haven’t met before. Each child handles this situation differently. While some are completely exhausted, others will get a rush of energy and excitement. While some will warm up to their host families immediately, others shy away from the unfamiliarity of the situation, taking longer to settle in. Either way, when the crowd of children approaches the waiting host families, there is a sudden outbreak of excitement and chaos.
This summer, with two different groups for our China hosting program and one group from Latvia, we have had the opportunity to experience this rush of excitement on three different occasions. Most recently, we were delighted to welcome Group II from our China Summer Hosting program this past Monday! We’re so happy to see that all of the kiddos are starting to get settled in with their host families. After just a few short days, the transformations that we’ve seen have been truly amazing. We look forward to following each of their journeys over the course of the next four weeks!
After the Arrival
While some of our host families move forward with the adoption of their host child, others advocate on their behalf to help them find a loving and permanent Forever Family. If you’re interested in learning how you can adopt a child that’s currently being advocated for, or following our host kids’ journeys, visit our Advocate Hosting Photo Listing or contact our matching specialists today at meredith@gwca.org!
Resources
- Visit Our Host-to-Advocate Photo Listing
- Contact Our China Matching Specialist
- Learn More About Orphan Hosting
Philippines Winter Hosting is Here!
Philippines Winter Hosting
We’re excited to announce that our Philippines Winter Hosting Program is launching TODAY! We like to think of it as celebrating Christmas in July as families are matched with the amazing kiddos who will participate in the Holiday program over December and January.
Our Philippines Program is currently open to families in Texas, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and New York. This is a requirement of the country.
The children of our Philippines Winter Hosting Program are between ages 8-15, and we have a number of sibling groups looking for a host and forever family. Children from the Philippines are generally healthy and are excited for the opportunity to spend time with a family! These children have often had tough lives but are resilient, sweet, and look to host families for love and support.
Philippines Winter Hosting Profiles
The children of our Philippines Winter hosting program are amazing! If you’re interested in reading their profiles, head over to our photolisting now. We aren’t allowed to post the children’s photos online, but you can contact us at shannon@gwca.org to receive profiles for the children and a short consultation about hosting.
Eligibility
- Citizenship: One parent must be a U.S. citizen.
- Age: Generally between 27-60 years old, depending on the country and the special needs of the child, if any.
- Marriage Status: Single women and married couples are generally eligible in both countries, and single men can be considered on a case by case basis for Philippines.
- Criminal History: Applicants with a criminal history of child abuse, violence, or domestic violence are not eligible to host
- Health: Host parents must be in good health with no major medical or psychological concerns
- Religious Affiliation (Philippines only): Parent(s) must demonstrate a relationship of at least 5 years with a religious or spiritual organization.
Click here to visit our Orphan Hosting Photolisting!
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Five Host Children Home Forever!
Five Host Children Home
We are SO happy to share that 12 more kiddos from our China Waiting Child adoption program have joined their new Forever Families just on time for Father’s Day – what a great way to start our week of honoring adoptive dads! Congratulations from all of us at Great Wall China Adoption and welcome home to five host children!
While many of these kids have just met their new families for the very first time, five of them came to the US previously to participate in our Orphan Hosting program, and have been eagerly awaiting this reunion! We are so happy that everyone made it home safe and sound, and we can’t wait to see what these amazing kids’ futures hold!
Orphan Hosting – Helping Older Orphans Find Loving Forever Families
Our Orphan Hosting program provides older, special needs orphans with the opportunity to spend 4-5 weeks in America with a family. During this time, the family welcomes them into their hearts and home, either taking the first steps towards adopting them or advocating on their behalf with the hope of finding them a Forever Family. The children in our Orphan Hosting program are considered more difficult to place due to the fact that they are older and generally have a need of some sort. Without hosting, their files are typically sit on China’s Shared Listing untouched, and overlooked in favor of younger children. By bringing these kiddos here for our hosting program, families are able to meet them and see how they fit into their family dynamic, eliminating the uncertainty that some families feel is associated with older child adoption. This program has changed many children’s lives, and we are so incredibly happy to see more and more of these host kiddos joining loving families forever.
For more information about our Orphan Hosting program or our China Waiting Child adoption program, contact our matching specialists today!
- Visit our China Waiting Child Photo Listing!
- Learn about our Orphan Hosting program
- Learn more about China Adoption
Josiah Needs Your Help – $1,000 Grant Available
This past April we had several amazing families travel to China for our very first JOY Mission trip. Among these families was an adoptive father who had the pleasure of spending his week getting to know two kiddos, Josiah and Amelia.
Josiah is a 10 year old boy with a heart condition that needs medical attention. The first time I saw Josiah I was watching a video that our hosting interview team had taken of him dancing to music with the biggest smile on his face. This is the second hosting program of ours that Josiah has participated in, as he came to America a year and a half ago for our Winter Hosting program, and we’re absolutely determined to find this incredible boy a Forever Family. In fact, the JOY family that spent time with him in April is so confident that Josiah’s Forever Family is out there, that they have provided him with a $1,000 grant towards his adoption fees! Below is a blog post that was written by Josiah’s JOY family.
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about Josiah, you can contact his JOY family at the email address listed at the bottom of the post. For more information on the China adoption process or to learn how you can be matched with Josiah, contact our China Matching Specialists at mallory@gwca.org.
The Empty Cup
What are Josiah and Amelia doing now? As I write this from the end of a sunny, spring, Wisconsin day, they are experiencing another Monday morning of their years of routine behind their walls. A routine I am hoping to free them from, in order to establish new routines with families, who will help them grow stronger.
I came back from China knowing the JOY Program would be different from last summer’s hosting program, when we hosted Jacob. I When I reflect on Josiah and Amelia, and their future, I am not handling the unknown for them well. Conversely, I know that Jacob and Wen have met their new families and will be landing in Wisconsin next week. Jacob and Wen are both finding families who, 12-months ago, were not even entertaining the thought of expanding their families. But there they are, in China, awaiting to bring home two tween boys. They know there will be many challenges. Their families are not doing this because it is easy, but because they had room their cups that needed to be filled for these two boys.
There are people who want to help, have some room left in their cup, to help Josiah and Amelia. It might not be to commit to adopt, but will share the stories to connect two hands. They will give words of support and strength. To enlighten others on the greatest gift that can be given: a forever family.
A lot of friends have asked me what I hoped to gain out of my trip to China. They asked if I had fun. Seeing Josiah smile as he was making dumplings (video below). And seeing Amelia grow with pride as she mastered writing another Chinese symbol or master walking down stairs: that filled some of my cup. But that is not what I was hoping to gain from my trip. I am, and was, hoping to connect these two souls to their forever families. Families who still have room in their cups. Families who will enter into the unknown, but who have the knowledge that I will pass on, about how awesome each of these kids are. The knowledge that these children WANT most line their lives, a forever family. They love. They cried. They wanted. Are you their Forever?
How to Help
I have gotten a lot of questions about how to help Josiah. The question is usually prefaced with comments like “What a great kid he is,” and “… it was amazing he could translate between you and Amelia,” and, “he just needs to find a family.”
Easy right? Well no-one advocating says adoption is easy (neither is childbirth). But sharing the message is. I respond the question of how to help with the answer of amplify the message. But what does that mean?
We all have different circles we run between. We have our social media networks, we have our work networks, we have our neighborhood networks, we have our church networks, and we have our other research networks. Your voice can carry a long, long way if you look at all the concentric circles you go between. But what do you say?
Tell your friends, colleagues, co-volunteers Josiah’s story. It is something to talk about. People like talking about kids. Tell them he is looking for a family. Point them to this blog. Point them to me. And point them to Great Wall China Adoption if they are interested in learning more. Share the information:
Blog Link: http://wahe.us/AdoptionJOY/
My Email: stefan@wahe.us
The Adoption Process: http://www.gwca.org/china-adoption/the-process/
Second Summer Children Still Need Families!
The second group of China Hosting Children are scheduled to arrive in mid-July, which means we still have time to find some of these amazing children a host family. We have a number of healthy, older children and children with minor needs who are waiting for their families. Meet some of these amazing kids below, and contact Shannon at shannon@gwca.org or call (512)323-9595 ext. 3101 to find out how you can become a host family.
Mr. Big Smile was told to smile real big for the camera, and then he gave us the cutest cheesy grin! He’s a shy kiddo who speaks a little quietly, but he likes to play games and he follows directions. He loses focus a little easily but responds to redirection. He’d do great with a family ready to get him some proper schooling, love, and attention!
Special Need: institutional delay, hairy nevus
The Writer told us she wrote on a novel and published it on the internet! What an accomplished little lady. She’s in foster care, but she told us she’d like to find a forever family. She does well in school, and she also does voice acting she told us! She was a little afraid of being videotaped, but she was a total sweetie. It is important that this young lady find a family that is ready to start the adoption process. She will turn 14 at the end of this year.
Special Need: Healthy, older
Mr. Math told us he does very well in math in school. He’s great at following directions, and he gets along well with the other children in the orphanage. His favorite sport is basketball, and he told us his favorite food is noodles!
Special Need: Hep B
Read More$500 Hosting Grants Available
These FOUR boys have $500 grants towards their hosting costs, we NEED you to bring them here for an unforgettable summer! Please contact our Hosting Team today to learn how you can get started.Mr. Logic was a smart little guy with a sweet smile. He can’t read characters, but he is great at figuring what a page says anyway through context clues! We think he’d do great with a family who could get him schooling to shine.
The Athlete is an all around boy – he loves to play basketball and soccer, and he enjoyed playing with balls our team brought. He told us he doesn’t think he’s very good at Chinese in school but think he’s great at math! He’s a talkative kiddo who likes to color (red is his favorite). He’d be a great fit for any active family!
Mr. Personality had it all – a great smile, a big heart, and an open mind to snapping photos with us! He was an all around sweet kiddo who said he’d like a new toy for Chinese New Year. He does well in school and has pretty handwriting. He knows his numbers in English, and we think he’d thrive in any family!
Mr. English told us he answers the questions in school in English so he can practice! He’s a cute kiddo who likes to play soccer but tells us he’s only “so-so.” We’d love to see him practice his skills with a family. He’s quick at math and got all of our problems right! He’d be a great fit for any family.
Contact the HOSTING TEAM today to learn more about any of the children still in need of hosting!
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It’s National Down Syndrome Day!
Today is World Down Syndrome Day and we wanted to take that chance to share the beautiful boys and girls that were born with that little something extra!
These children are truly amazing and our interview team does nothing but fall in love with each and every one of them on the interview trips. However upon returning we are slapped with the reality that we can’t match them all with families. That’s why we need you – to share this and help us find families for these sweet children waiting! The good news two beautiful girls on our list have already been matched, but FOUR more still wait. Be a part of something more this summer, and host a child with Down syndrome to be a part of something extraordinary!
Contact the HOSTING TEAM today to learn more about our extra special kids – The Colonel, Miss Precious, The Dancer and Mr. Adaptable.
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An Orphan’s Test: What Host Families Should Know
Twice a year, our interview teams go to meet the children of our Summer and Winter Hosting Programs. Many times when they return, Shannon, Cayce, and the rest of the hosting team get right down to the business of finding families for the children they’ve met along their journey. It becomes a whirlwind of activity in the office, with photos organized, profiles compiled, and jumps of joy as each new family steps forward for a child in need.
It’s important to know what the entirety of this journey looks like to know how and why we work so hard for the children, not only in hosting, but in all our programs. The range of needs, conditions, children we meet is so different that one family may find that their host child seems perfectly content, well-cared for, and not particularly “in need.” Another host family meets a child with a troubled past, a fear of hugs, and not just a few rotting teeth. To understand each child’s situation, some thoughts from our interview team can really paint the perspective of what these children face.
For the children who are well-cared for, they may not seem like they “need” a family. For many of them, like two boys we met who had been malnourished and neglected prior to arriving in their foster family, this is the first time they have been well-cared for. It’s the place they may have received their first birthday present all for their own or had someone make a meal that they were invited to sit down and eat. It’s not long term, and even though the children get here and tell us happy stories about their home lives, these are not their forever lives. For most of our children, their childhood ends at 14, or if they are lucky, 16. They may be sent to look for work…or simply sent away.
They are children, and many of them are older children. They come with memories, friends, and sometimes first loves (who wasn’t “in love” at age 12? My first crush was Jonathan Taylor Thomas – I’m not ashamed!). It may be tempting to second guess these children’s need for the warmth of a family because they tell us about these little lives they have built for themselves. The important thing to remember is that many of these little lives end, and children are asked to become adults far before they should.
The children with tough pasts, and we see a number of them, can be easy to want to help but incredibly difficult (especially at first) to bring that help to the table. For children who have grown up in orphanages or poor foster families, hosting may be the first time they’ve ever really had a hug. Families have been waiting, dreaming for months of their host child stepping off that plane. They are ready to run at their kids with open arms and envelop them in the safety and security that we know a home and a family means. What the child sees is a stranger who may mean anything. Is this another adult who will abandon me? Is this another adult who will hurt me? These are the questions I know our children wonder.
These children test us over and over throughout hosting because they have been in a test all of their lives – a test they have never been allowed to pass, never given the tools to even take. Will you still love me if I fall down crying in the store? Will you still love me if I don’t want a hug? With our own children, they know we will still tuck them into bed that night, wake up in the morning with breakfast ready, because this is something that has happened their whole lives. Every day you have woken up, as a parent, husband, wife, son, or whoever, and someone has been there to still love you. For these children, there was no one. For these children, they are still taking the test, waiting, hoping, wishing beyond measure they are allowed to pass this time, even if they throw a temper tantrum, even if they can’t hug you right now, even if they panic over fear of a fork (where are the chopsticks?!?) and refuse to eat.
What’s clear is that all of the children we see need the unconditional love a family can offer. We still have so many children in need, a child who has a foster brother with a big laugh, a child in an orphanage with 50 other children and just one caretaker, a child with a laugh, a cry, a voice that deserves to be heard. If you’d like to speak with our hosting team about the children still in need, get in touch with us at shannon@gwca.org or cayce@childrenofallnations.comWhat will your story be?
