After a Five Year Wait – The Best Christmas Ever



 Laura Richer gasped, as she viewed photos of her new daughter
in the adoption referral handed to her by
Nichole Deal, Children's Hope social worker. 



“She is soooo... cuuuuute…!”

Those were the emotional words flowing from Laura Richer when she first saw the photo of her new daughter.   Laura and her husband Steve, along with three other Children’s Hope couples, today received their referrals; the official documents from China matching the new parents to an orphan who will soon be their child. The Richers have been waiting for this day since August 2006, when their adoption paper work was approved by the Chinese.

Riley is now waiting for the Richers 

“It’s been so long, people have stopped asking about it,” Laura said when reflecting on the long wait to adopt from China.  But today was the start of a joyous ending, as Laura and Steve’s new daughter, 18-month-old “Riley”, from Guangdong province, took up residence in their hearts.

"Over five years is a long time…but I guess she was meant to be ours,” Steve said.

All four couples will be traveling to China in two to four months to finalize their individual adoptions and then bring their new children home. 

More on Adoption

international adoption, UNICEF, China adoption, adopting from China, orphans, orphanage, China special needs adoption

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International Adoption Discussion on NPR

Children’s Hope shares mic with investigative reporter covering adoption 

Actions by UNICEF and adoptions from Vietnam were two of the numerous international adoption topics explored Tuesday, during an hour long radio conversation on St. Louis National Public Radio. Cory Barron from Children’s Hope International and adoptive mom Trish Almond, joined NPR’s foreign affairs correspondent Alan Greenblatt, to talk about Greenblatt’s series of articles on international adoption.

Twice adopting from China, Trish Almond shares a heartfelt mother’s perspective while Barron gives an adoption agency view on the current state of international adoption. The live KWMU show, St. Louis on the Air, aired on the same day that the Congressional Quarterly Global Researcher published Greenblatt’s extensive 20 page article on his findings.

Why is the number of international adoptions declining?

Is the U.S. State Department working against international adoption?
Are the world’s orphans helped by international adoption?

Why do Americans choose to adopt internationally? 

Listen to the NPR program on International Adoption

UNICEF, US State Department, Vietnam, Russia, China. Ethiopia, Guatemala, International Adoption, Orphans, Orphanages, Hague

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