Making the News: A Mother Adopts Her Ninth, an AIDS Orphan of Ethiopia and a US Citizen on the 4th of July

Margaret Fleming is the mother of twelve children, nine of whom were adopted. Her last five children were born HIV-positive.

“Margaret takes in hard case kids and makes diamonds out of them,” says Mary House, Director of Outreach in Children’s Hope Chicago branch. “She’s one of those people that steps out in faith, and when a reasonable person would say ‘It will not work’, they step forward and, you know what,...it does work.”

Margaret is the mother of two children adopted from Vietnam through Children’s Hope; her daughter Lanh, brought home in April 2006 is also HIV-positive. Watch ABC7's video as she brings home her ninth adopted child from Ethiopia on the 4th of July and find out what motivates this inspirational mom.

 

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A Mission to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“This was my first mission trip. Many people told me before leaving, ‘You’ll probably get more out of it than you will give.’ Those people were absolutely right,” says Toni.

Toni Lynch, an integral member of Children’s Hope China Team, spent the last three weeks in the heart of Ethiopia, aiding lepers and the HIV-positive community—and then working to open Children’s Hope transition home “House of Hope”.

Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is a city of over 3.5 million people, most living far below poverty level. Ironically, those Toni visited offered her the little they had. “Their situation is getting worse... It’s a vicious cycle that would seem to offer little hope. Despite all, these people cling to hope.”

See how both the love and poverty of Ethiopia has changed Toni and left her forever altered in the awareness of a third world country reality. Read her letter to friends, family and now you, here.

 

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Russia Accreditation Process Proceeds

Children's Hope received news that eight international adoption agencies, seven based in the U.S. and one in France, received their accreditation in Russia on Wednesday, July 4. Although Children's Hope was not one of the first accredited, we welcome this information and are excited the accreditation process has finally begun!

As the accreditation process proceeds, we will be notified of the timetable for the next batch of agencies to be accredited. New updates will be released as specific official information is received.

Sue Ellison
Russia Program Director

 

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Made in China?

The makeup in your purse...your IPOD... your Scandisk memory card—you’re likely to use a product today which was made in Shenzhen. The city is cradled at the southern border of China in Guangdong, the province in which families finalize their Chinese adoptions. Approximately one-third of Children’s Hope China orphans call this province their first home.

See beyond the label “Made in China” and experience the city of Shenzhen through James Fallow’s fascinating slideshow commentary online, featuring young women working 12-hour shifts to save and move back to the countryside (2:05, 1:22) and a technology bazaar, the only one of its kind in the world (3:50).
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One of the fastest growing cities in the world, Shenzhen is a centre of foreign investment with outsiders supplying more than $30 billion for factory construction in the past two decades.

 

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Her Homeland Tour: China Through 12-Year-Old Emily's Eyes

Adopted from China as a four-month-old infant in 1995, the now 12-year-old Emily returns to her homeland on a Children's Hope Homeland Tour.

"Growing up my parents always told us stories of adopted families that had adopted children just like our family. My mom and dad also told Rebecca and me that we would soon return to China to discover what our homeland looked like. In just two weeks I am planning to return to China with my family. In just two weeks we will get to go to the cities of Wuhan, Zhanjiang, Beijing, Guangzhou, and to Hong Kong."

The anticipation of those two weeks has passed, and now the St. Louis family has spent their first day in China. Follow Emily's travels in country in the blog Returning to Our Homeland and see the perspective of a young woman as she sees her homeland for the first time.

http://www.chinahomeland.blogspot.com/

 

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What You "Take Out" Will Give Back: Candy Craze Proceeds Give Hope to Orphans Worldwide

Anyone for take out? In a partnership that is making life sweeter for orphaned children around the world, candy store Candy Craze is donating a portion of each month's Take Out Box sales to Children's Hope humanitarian projects. In their first two months, Candy Craze has already helped 80 children in China and India.

In 2007, founder Tim Bailey contacted Children’s Hope hoping to make a difference. As parents of four internationally adopted children, Tim and wife Connie Bailey have been longtime advocates of adoption and humanitarian aid efforts to improve life for orphans. In 2006, Connie joined Children’s Hope as the Outreach Director for the state of Arkansas.

Tim's 22 bright, colorful and fun-filled venues can be found in malls throughout the mid-south. With all the best candy and confections for sale by weight, shoppers can buy exactly as much or as little as they wish.

Want to know what a little candy can do? Each month, Candy Craze brings new hope to orphans by supporting ongoing projects:

May 2007 - Candy Craze will purchase new clothing and shoes for 75 orphans and street children living in Kakinada, one of the poorest states in India.

April 2007 - the very first gift from Candy Craze will send 5 older orphans in China to the Hand-in-Hand Summer Camp.

Make your next candy purchase a Take Out and make a difference for a child. Find a store location near you or get into the Craze at www.candycraze.net!

 

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A Child’s Special Needs Update: Jack--A "Green Light Go" in the Children’s Hope Spring Newsletter

"We communicate by looking in each other’s eyes, giving hugs, with kisses and pointing,” Heidi Graser had said of communicating with her hearing impaired son Jack, home from Vladivostok, Russia in September 2006.

With sign language the two communicated basic needs, but now Heidi and her son can do more. On May 8, Jack received a cochlear implant and three weeks later, it was activated. For the first time in his life, the nearly three-year-old boy could hear.

“He definitely reacted when they turned the processor on and off. He even giggled when the technician built a tower of blocks with him and then knocked them down loudly,” says Heidi.

At birth, Jack was diagnosed with pneumonia. An antibiotic dose error resulted in nerve deafness. Now, almost two weeks after implanting the processor, Jack is doing great.

“I tried something yesterday and called him from the bathroom. He was down the hall in my room and before I knew it, he was there,” Heidi says. “I almost fell over. ...It’s a big improvement from the days of stomping so he can feel the vibration to get his attention!”

According to his last wellness visit, Jack is growing like a champ. On the growth charts, Jack has improved from the 3rd percentile, to the 15th percentile for weight and head size and to the 20th percentile for height. Having grown 2.5 inches in six months, Jack is now 27 lbs. and very healthy.

“It is so amazing to see the changes in him in the last 9 months. Motherhood—God, I love it! I feel like I am learning right along with him.”

To read the original story of Heidi and Jack Graser, visit their family story online or view their story “in print” in the Children’s Hope Spring Newsletter on pages 12 and 13, by PDF.

 

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Children's Hope Receives First Ethiopian Referral!

Children’s Hope first referral in Ethiopia will certainly do great work in the hearts of parents Stacie and Kevin as they travel to meet their adoptive son and bring him home to Missouri.

When they applied in January, the couple waited patiently for Children’s Hope to become licensed in country. Once licensed, the family received their referral for their beautiful healthy boy just one month after submitting their dossier. Now this pioneer family is set to travel in approximately two months to Addis Ababa’s Hope for Abandoned Children and Orphan Care Association, where the three-month-old infant will first be united with his family.

Children's Hope looks forward to sharing pictures of this happy referral day when the adoption is finalized by the courts of Ethiopia prior to the family's travel. A big congratulations to the happy couple!

 

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Happy Father’s Day from Children's Hope!

“I can’t understand most of what either of them says to me, and one of them even speaks English,” jokes Chris Crabtree of his two daughters. His daughter Gracie was adopted from China on Christmas Day last year. A father for the second time, Chris knows how to keep his kids laughing, day in and day out through the challenges of fatherhood.

On this Father’s Day, read his story in the Children’s Hope June E-news, and also the photo journal of a naval father, meeting his adoptive daughter for the first time after his extended deployment.

Feeling the heat? Read this month’s Kids Corner for kid-friendly recipes and summer crafts for long days at home...and make Dad a card-book today.

Thank you, fathers, for loving, providing, guiding, praying and protecting your children all day, every day of the year. Today is yours.

 

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A "Fortunate Family" Utilitzes Winnings for Vietnam Adoption

"Christian Dashiell was on a lucky streak that eventually earned him over 35,000 dollars on the game show Wheel of Fortune. In the end what the winnings bought him turned out to be priceless"--an opportunity to change the life for one special needs child of Vietnam.

Stacy and Christian Dashiell, a Children's Hope family of Kansas City, KS, traveled to Vietnam in September 2005 to bring home Elliana. Catch this family's moving story on NBC Action News before it is no longer available online.

Post updated on 12/18/07; NBC Action News link removed as no longer active.

 

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Vietnam Adoptions Rise Since Reopening

In a quarterly meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi yesterday, Children's Hope representative Thuy touched base with Vietnam adoption officials, in efforts to maintain a smooth adoption process in country. According to the government update, 780 children have come home to U.S. families since Vietnam reopened in January 2006. In April 2007, 120 children were placed. "I think this is the largest number placed in one month so far. Adoptions are really taking off in Vietnam," says Children's Hope Vietnam Program Director Nicky Losse.

Representatives from the 42 U.S. agencies licensed in Vietnam were in attendance. Eight of the 120 children placed in April were with Children's Hope families.

 

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Children’s Hope Family Story in Associated Press: They Share a Heritage--New Mom Returned to Vietnam to Adopt

Tami Herman knew she didn't look like the other kids. She desperately wanted to fit in. So the Vietnamese dolls went in the trash.

But when Herman, 33, was ready to start her own family, adopting a child from her homeland "was a given."

--ALAN SCHER ZAGIER, Associated Press

Tami Herman smiled broadly while watching her new daughter pass from aunt to uncle to grandparent on arrival home from their adoption trip to Vietnam, May 15. Tami and her husband Jason finalized 6-month-old Olivia’s adoption from Kien Giang Province almost 33 years after Tami was escorted from Vietnam to the same St. Louis airport to be adopted by her Missouri parents.

Read the AP article on the Hermans and the growing number of Vietnam War orphans returning to experience the joy of adoption for themselves.

Post updated on 12/18/07 with PR-inside.com article link; Rolla Daily News link no longer active.
 

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Children’s Hope Associate Director Journals: Blog Online

Melody Zhang is Children's Hope front-line in China. Her work is an example of your hands working through Children's Hope to better the lives of orphans throughout the world, in Russia, Vietnam, India, and more. Melody's days are inspirational; and can be filled with helping arrange surgeries, touring orphanages, appearing on TV or assisting an adoptive family.

Read her journal that will detail efforts to better everyday life for the children of China.

Visit www.melodyzhangorphans.blogspot.com to view Melody's Blog, "Hope's Song". Any time you visit here, you may also click her picture on the right sidebar to be redirected to "Hope's Song".

Tech savvy or wanna be? Sign up for her journal entries to be delivered by email, by clicking here.

(Want to do the same for Children's Hope News Blog? Click here.)

 

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Referrals for Chinese Adoptions: June 6 Becomes a Day to Remember for 17 China Families

A group of seventeen Children’s Hope families across the nation received their referrals from China today, making June 6 one of the best days of their entire adoption process!

Find more information and photos of happy families here:
Children's Hope Latest News
St. Louis Family Page

 

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Agreement with Additional Ethiopia Orphanage; More Families May Finalize Their Ethiopia Adoption with Court Closing Date in August

Breaking News for Children’s Hope Ethiopia Adoptions:
Children’s Hope has signed an agreement in Ethiopia with Hope for Abandoned Children and Orphan Care Association, a private orphanage in Addis Ababa. The founder and director of the orphanage once served at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. She is very familiar with the adoption process and is well known and respected by the government. This orphanage is able to place children of all ages, even infants.

In more news, the Ethiopian courts will not close in July this year, but will close August 5 for holiday. Any family whose adoption is finalized by the Ethiopian court prior to this date will be able to travel to pick up their child(ren) even after the courts have closed. These families, as all do throughout the year, will complete paperwork at the American Embassy only while in country. Although the exact date of its reopening is unknown, the courts will remain closed for approximately two months.

 

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Children’s Hope Team Finalizes Report for Hague Accreditation

With the mailing of a document-filled CD last Friday, Children’s Hope took a major step toward Hague accreditation. A group of Children’s Hope staff worked diligently the past several months preparing the international adoption agency self-study that was on that CD.

“It took hours and hours of our team working above and beyond their normal duties to accomplish this task,” said Dianna Briner, Children’s Hope Compliance Director.

By the end of 2007, all U.S. agencies with over 100 international adoptions per year must be accredited for Hague — meeting the new Hague standards on international adoption. The Hague Accreditation is to establish international standards that protect the orphan and provide assurance to the adopting parents.

Last year the U.S. State Department finalized the procedures for international adoption agencies to become Hague accredited. Agencies were then asked to apply and then begin the accreditation process last fall.

Each Children’s Hope Hague team member gathered the necessary evidence to show compliance with the Hague standards. The evidence gathering process was made somewhat easier because Children’s Hope recently successfully completed reaccreditation with the Council on Accreditation (COA) and a ECFA accreditation. Both confirm the high ethical and financial standards of Children’s Hope.

The Hague Team:
Front Row: Gloria Akers, Ann Tollefson, Nicky Losse, Erin Tilley
Back Row: Jessica Hill, Linda Dahlgren, Dianna Briner, Nichole Deal
Not Pictured: Sue Ellison, Christina Ortwein, and Tina Qualls

 

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Orphan Arithmetic: The Problem That Goes Unsolved

Cory Barron, Children's Hope Outreach Director and father of twin daughters from China (pictured), shares his inspiration from Orphan Summit III held at Focus on the Family in Colorado...

The math seems so easy. It’s not a difficult equation and appears so doable. But then why has it not been done before?

Here, you figure it out.

There are over 300,000 churches in the United States. There are around 115,000 American children waiting for adoption or a stable foster home. To place every child in a loving family would mean only one family in every third church must step forward to either adopt or become foster parents.

One in three!

God commands us to take care of the orphans. Are we?

That was the running theme of the Orphan Summit III held at the Focus on the Family campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In attendance at the May conference were over 300 people representing 160 church orphan ministries and adoption agencies, including Children’s Hope.

In the three days of meetings, the overriding answer voiced was that the church has not done enough, even though the church is the only organizational structure capable of effectively attacking the world’s orphan emergency. But when you look at the international orphan numbers, the problem seems so immense, can this really be solved?

There are 143 million orphans in the world.

Here are some astounding numbers for you that were shared at the conference:

We spend $150 billion on Christmas gifts and decorations every year.

We spend $17 billion on pet food and supplies.

We spend $18 billion on perfume and beauty products.

Meanwhile, 30,000 people, many of them orphans, die from preventable diseases every day.

No one at the conference was saying money will solve the orphan emergency, because it won’t. But the money we spend is a reflection of our heart.

God’s heart is for the orphans.

Now that adds up.

Join Children’s Hope by sponsoring an orphan at www.ChildrensHope.net, contributing to a project, financially assisting another to adopt or adopt an orphan into your life.

You can also start an orphan ministry at your church and we can help.
Click here on this link, Churches Responding to the Needs of Orphans, or contact Michelle at Michelle.Howdeshell@ChildrensHope.net

 

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New Ruling Can Save Adoptive Parents Money

With the time required to finalize an international adoption expanding in several countries, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) is now offering parents an opportunity to save on immigration fees if their adoption process takes longer than 18 months.

"If you already have an approved I-600A that is about to expire, and have not yet filed your I-600 petition, you may receive one free extension,” the USCIS notes as long as the parent resubmits before their first I-600A expires.

Every potential adoptive parent must have a valid I-600A to complete the adoption in their child’s country. Since the I-600A is valid for only 18 months, many adoptive parents have had to reapply and pay CIS fees all over again.

Although this new procedure accompanies an increase in the initial I-600A fees, the free extension should help to limit international adoption costs for many families. The new fees for the I-600A Advanced Processing for Orphan Petition is now $750 for parents and $80 for each person 18 or older living in the home.

Please call your local USCIS office with any questions to properly comply with the new implementation of this ruling.

Official release: http://www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/FinalFeeRulePressRelease052907.pdf
Fee schedule: http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/FinalUSCISFeeSchedule052907.pdf
USCIS question and answer page: http://www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/FinalFeeRuleQsAs052907.pdf

 

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Concerns, Problems: Please Always Come to Us

To our China Families,

A recent post by a popular China adoption blogger (not using Children’s Hope as her agency) recently asked the question, “Should you let your agency know if you have a complaint or problem?”

I hope you already know this but if not, Please let Children's Hope know if you have any problems, issues, concerns, complaints, etc. or just need support. Please do not wait until your adoption is finalized to tell us. International adoption is difficult enough without us adding to the stress. Children's Hope is here to help you during your adoption journey. As you know, things may change in the process and we need to adapt to those changes and our families' needs. Your Children's Hope social worker or adoption consultant, branch director, China team in St. Louis and myself are here to serve you. Please do not be shy about calling or emailing us if we are not meeting your needs.

Ann Tollefson
China Program Director
Children’s Hope International

 

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Media Sheds Light on African-American Youth Issues and Those Affecting Transracial Adoptees

For those considering adopting transracially through Children's Hope Ethiopia Program, two videos are available online for your review: A Girl Like Me and Struggle for Identity (the first for free full view, the second for purchase).

Sharon Turner Ethiopia Program Director shares A Girl Like Me, a seven minute award winning film on the issues of racism and stereotypes in the African American community. Although those interviewed are not necessarily adopted or of Ethiopian heritage, they do share a powerful statement on the perceptions of African-American youth in American culture today.

Teenager Kiri Davis of Reel Works Teen Filmmaking and winner of the Media That Matters Diversity Award, explains her own documentary:

For my high-school literature class I was constructing an anthology with a wide range of different stories I believed reflected the black girl’s experience. ...When I was accepted into the Reel Works Teen Filmmaking program, I set out to explore the issues [of the standards of beauty imposed on today’s black girls and how this affects their self-image]. I also decided to reconduct the “doll test”, initially conducted by Dr. Kenneth Clark and used in the historic desegregation case, Brown vs. Board of Education. I thought by including this experiment in my film, I would shed new light on how society affects black children today and how little has actually changed.

This documentary may be viewed in its entirety online, at Media That Matters Film Festival. The short film may be incorporated into some regions’ parent education workshops for Ethiopia.

An alternate video, Struggle for Identity, designed to inform adoptive parents about the needs of children of a different race or culture, is available for purchase online.

In this thought-provoking 20-minute video, viewers hear the compelling voices of transracial adoptees and their families as they confront difficult issues of racism, identity and sense of place in America. A thirty second clip is available for preview online at PhotoSynthesis Productions. (After following the link, click the photo for Quicktime play.)

 

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First Family Dossier Sent to Ethiopia

By tomorrow or Friday, the first Children's Hope family dossier will arrive in Ethiopia! A second dossier will make its arrival Friday or Monday, after certification and authentication in Washington D.C. Several families' dossiers are ready to be submitted as soon as they receive CIS approval. Congratulations to these families as they move forward in their Ethiopia adoptions as Children's Hope first Ethiopia families!

 

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China Adoptive Families to Start New Hotel Tradition in Guangzhou This Summer

The White Swan Hotel, the current hotel of choice for China adoptive families, will be undergoing an extensive renovation beginning October 2007 through December 2008. The hotel will be closed for business during this time. As a result, Children’s Hope has been investigating the best possible hotel alternative for our adoptive families during their stay in Guangzhou. From the many suitable hotels in the area, Children’s Hope chose the Westin Guangzhou which will provide for our families’ unique needs during the finalization of their adoption, for a reasonable price.

This five-star hotel, near the U.S. consulate, is brand new and set to open May 2007. Our travel department in China has negotiated the new contract for our families, which includes the top amenities and features requested by our adoptive parents.

We understand our families’ disappointment in the loss of the White Swan, which has been a tradition for adoptive families since the beginning of Chinese adoptions. It is our hope, however to create a new tradition at the Westin.

One tradition that will remain the same: ‘Going Home’ Barbie. She will be traveling to the Westin, along with other gift options: baby bathrobe or Westin Pillow with Gotcha date. Additional parent advantages are the provided Westin Heavenly Crib, diapers for the first day, Heavenly Baby Bath including plastic tub, baby shampoo, baby oil and toys, and baby strollers for rent.

Four bottles of water are provided daily to each family during their stay, and the hotel water is potable as well. The Westin also offers 22 executive suites comprised of 2 bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms and a living space.

The Westin Hotel Guangzhou is located at 6 Lin He Zhong Road in the Tian He District in Guangzhou, Guangdong 510610 China. Become acquainted with the Westin by viewing their web site at www.westin.com/guangzhou.

Children’s Hope will provide a tour to Shaiman Island for our families to shop and visit this special and wonderful area.

(The White Swan will be reevaluated when it reopens for business in December 2008.)

 

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Feed Your Family and Help Feed Orphans Worldwide

Children’s Hope is proud to announce our partnership with the Schnucks grocery chain. When you feed your family, you will help feed orphans worldwide. If you live in Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Mississippi or Iowa, and shop at your local Schnucks market with your eScrip Community Card, Children’s Hope International will earn funds to support nutritious meals and other assistance for orphans and impoverished families internationally.

How You Can Participate:

1. Pick up your card at any Schnucks location (Customer Service area).
2. Activate your card(s) by calling 1-800-931-6258 or visit www.escrip.com/schnucks.jsp; designate Children’s Hope International as the recipient.
3. Present your card to the cashier every time you shop at Schnucks.
You can pay for your groceries any way you choose. Simply swiping your card generates contributions from Schnucks to Children's Hope International.
4. The more you shop, the higher the contribution to Children’s Hope.
For every dollar you spend, Schnucks will contribute up to 5% of your purchase amount.

Follow one of the links below for additional information about the eScrip program in your state.

Families in Metro St. Louis, Columbia, Jefferson City, Rockford, Illinois and Janesville, Wisconsin Click Here
Families in Tennessee and Mississippi Click Here
Families in Iowa Click Here

 

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96 China Adoptive Families Stranded Last Month Due to Visa Issuance Delays

As reported by The Argus Leader on May 10, ninety-six China adoptive families were set to return to the United States after completing their China adoptions on April 14 and 15. A State Department technical difficulty with the computer used to issue visas to adopted children caused a several-day backup.

Due to the Guangzhou Trade Fair in progress, hotel stays were difficult to extend and many families feared they would have no overnight accommodations. A call from Senator John Thune of South Dakota helped speed families' return home.

"This type of situation does occasionally occur. The families usually
are able to get their child's visa processed the next day. At Children's Hope, we ask families not to book flights or schedule their leave from Guangzhou on the same night they are to receive their child's visa, in case of a delay," says Karolyn Tucker, Children's Hope China Travel Coordinator.

No Children's Hope families were involved in the April delay in China.

 

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Children's Hope May E-News: Mother's Day Edition

Every month we email our families and those inquiring about international adoption our monthly e-news publication. This month is special as it is our Mother's Day Edition and we are very excited for our mothers-to-be and new mothers through adoption. Congratulations! Your love is appreciated even if it is sent from afar.

Each month our waiting and completed families share photos, stories, and a piece of themselves with our Children's Hope Family, in the hope that it will inspire those in the wait and join us together in the celebration of adoption.

In this edition, we have featured a true miracle comeback story, our Blog of the Month, a special Mother's Day poem from a mother to her daughter Across the Seas, and much more. Be sure to check out Kids Corner for Mother's Day coloring pages to download and print. Choose a favorite, gather up your coloring tools, and make Mom a card to show how much you love her this holiday! Click here to view the May E-News and everything it has to offer.

We hope you enjoy this special issue. Happy Mother’s Day to you all, whether your child is home in the States...or waiting for you abroad.

 

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Colombian Book Review: "Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World"

Alan Weisman’s book, Gaviotas: A Village To Reinvent the World, is a firsthand account of a true Colombian treasure. Gaviotas is a village in eastern Colombia that originated in 1971 when a group of Colombian visionaries set out to design a self-sustaining community that was both environmentally sound and promoted peace and prosperity in a place that was affected by war and conflict. The simple concept behind Gaviotas was to determine if people could thrive in one of the most environmentally challenging, barren savannas on earth, and promote peace for all Colombians during a time of political and governmental turbulence.

The visionaries, Paolo Lugari and Jorge Zapp, set out to determine if "utopia" could occur at Gaviotas. If this were attainable, it would be possible to cultivate a sustainable environment anywhere in the world.

Weisman details both the inception of Gaviotas and the brilliant Colombian visionaries that have inspired biologists, scientists, environmentalists, and activists worldwide. For more than 30 years, Gaviotans have invented sustainable living with items such as windmills that convert energy, solar collection pumps for water, and the planting of renewable crops to regenerate an ancient native rain forest.

Gaviotas and its founders have been recognized by the United Nations, summits for the World Conferences, and deemed an inspiring model of Utopia for the developing world. The book details the political history of Colombia, the beautiful diversity of Colombian artists, scientists, professors, native Indians, and the common people, and the passionate cultural influences that led to the creation and success of Gaviotas.

"Gaviotas isn’t a utopia," Lugari explained. "Utopia literally means 'no place'. We call Gaviotas a topia, because it is real. We’ve moved from fantasy to reality. From utopia to topia. And therefore changed the way you see the world." --Paolo Lugari

--Review by Erika Kohn of OR, waiting family for Colombia

 

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Some Agencies Attempting to "Umbrella" for Vietnam Adoptions

Last week Ethica, a non-profit voice for ethical child placement, released interesting news regarding agencies attempting to "umbrella" under those agencies that are licensed to facilitate Vietnam adoptions. These unlicensed agencies advertise Vietnam child placement through partnership or networking agreements.

From the Ethica article:

Families working with un-licensed agencies are vulnerable to being caught in delays should the Vietnamese government assert that only licensed agencies may place children. Officials may make this statement at any time and it would be effective immediately, without a formal decree.

Families should take this risk into consideration and refer to the Hanoi U.S. Embassy's list of licensed agencies when choosing an adoption agency. Additionally, families should note that a similar practice was used in Russian adoptions. Families that had worked with unlicensed agencies suffered serious financial and emotional repercussions when representatives could not complete their adoptions.

"Hopefully, this will cause unlicensed agencies to become more ethical and upfront with their programs," notes Nicky Losse, Vietnam Program Director. "Let me state clearly that Children's Hope does not umbrella under any agency nor do any agencies umbrella under Children's Hope."

 

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CCAA Mail Package Received! Referrals for 15 China Families

A day earlier than expected, Children's Hope received the referral packets from the China Center of Adoption Affairs. Fifteen Children's Hope families from across the nation were matched with their children in China and were able to view photos and medical reports for the first time. Their beautiful children are all girls from the Jiangxi province and range in age from 7 to 11 months. These referrals were for the 10/27/05 through 11/1/05 log in dates. The families waited 18 months from log in date to referral. We expect each family to travel in about 8 weeks to complete their Chinese adoption. It was a happy day for so many. Congratulations!

Find photos of happy families:
Children's Hope Latest News
St. Louis Family Page

 

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The CCAA Announces Completed Placement for China Adoptions, LID Prior to Nov. 1

The China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) updated the CCAA/Agency Information System on Sunday evening, April 29, with the following document processing news:

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before March 31, 2006.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before November 1, 2005.

It appears the CCAA has mailed or is mailing the next group of referrals which will include 10/27/05 through 11/1/05 log in dates. Congratulations to the 15 Children's Hope families with a 10/27/05 log in date with China!

Children's Hope also has 17 families with a 11/2/05 log in date. These families are now first in line for the next group of referrals!

 

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American Idol Touches Families' Hearts, Moves Some to Make Personal Impact

The world listened and was touched by American Idol's two night special, which concluded last night, to help raise awareness and funds for health and education resources to benefit children in extreme poverty in both the U.S. and Africa.

As most of America watched the spotlight on African orphans, Brenda Barker Children's Hope Southeast Regional Director watched from her home, too.

"I couldn’t help but think my future girls could be one of those orphans…" says Brenda, adoptive mother of seven children, and future mother of perhaps two more girls of Ethiopia.

Moved by the development aid work that will change lives, Brenda is glad she can do more through adopting and sponsorship opportunities, making life-changing, individual impacts.

"Like Rascal Flatts sang, 'My wish for you…to know somebody loves you'", while sponsoring a child does provide better meals and educational opportunities for both an orphan and their entire orphanage, it also provides the child with something possibly even more important--the personal relationship they crave through communication with their sponsor.

To find out more about orphan sponsorship or adoption, click here.

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Transition Home, a Place of Guardianship for Ethiopian Adopted Children

Since gaining our licensure to facilitate adoptions in Ethiopia April 5, Children’s Hope In Country Coordinator Tsegay Fisseha has been hard at work first acquiring and then staffing and furnishing our transition home in Addis Ababa. This home within the capital city will provide care for a maximum of fifty children concurrently. Once a child is referred to a Children’s Hope adoptive family they will leave their orphanage or community to come into our direct care and guardianship.

Our transition home (unofficially referred to as House of Hope) is located in the center of the city, near the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the High Courts responsible for finalizing adoptions. Included within the 22 rooms and 7 bathrooms are several large rooms in which adoptive families may stay in lieu of a hotel if they prefer.

The home has space for office, laundry, classroom, infirmary, lounge, playroom, and sleeping quarters for both staff and children. Depending on the size of the room, four to eight children will board in these freshly painted bedrooms.

Once our Ethiopia program is established, all children will meet their families at the transition home. Until the home is fully staffed and furnished, families may meet their children at their original orphanages or alternate locations.

Please join us in celebrating this step in the process of getting our new program up and running. We are very excited!

(The green building on the right will serve as the House of Hope kitchen.)

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New Ethiopian Restaurant Opens in St. Louis So. Grand

For all those interested in Ethiopian adoption and ethnic culture in general, a new restaurant Meskerem has opened along the ethnic strip of South Grand in St. Louis. This past Thursday the St. Louis Post Dispatch reviewed the new restaurant regarding the dining experience as a food excursion, but also a "cultural initiation".

Your encounter will include the key ingredient to Ethiopian eating, injera. This spongy round bread with a taste similar to rye will serve as both your tray and utensil, and alternately a shredded ingredient in some dishes. Although liquor and desserts are still on their way to the menu, you may cap off your meal with a densely rich Ethiopian coffee. Common staples you will find on the menu: awaze (spicy sauce), garlic, ground chile, lentils, ginger, and lamb.

Looking for a restaurant with roots to the area? Tareke Beraki of the Queen of Sheba catered a St. Louis Children's Hope parent education meeting this past month. You may find his authentic East African Cuisine on Olive in University City. The Delmar Loop's Red Sea was the first to make its Ethiopian footprint within the city.

Get a palate for ethnic food in your area and get a taste for the culture of an orphan--your possible child of Ethiopia. Happy eating!

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Nickelodeon Pushes Diverse Programming with New Series for Hispanics, Chinese, and African American Markets

Children's Hope families may be excited to learn about the upcoming and continually diverse nature of Nickelodeon's programming as the network is set to release a Chinese-American cartoon geared towards pre-schoolers, entitled Ni Hao Kai-Lan. The main character, a 5-year-old Chinese-American girl is written to provide a role model for bicultural youngsters.

The New York Times interviewed the creator of the new cartoon, Karen Chao. Their interview revealed the background and scope of the series.

“Ni Hao, Kai-lan!,” an animated series based on her memories of growing up in a bicultural household with two overachieving brothers, a doting immigrant grandfather and a father with one foot in the Old World and one in the New. Ms. Chao and her mother, Hai-lan (Helen), were outnumbered but unbowed, honoring some gender traditions that dated to Confucian times while questioning others. “Ni hao” means “Hi” in mandarin, and Kai-lan is the Chinese name Ms. Chao was given at birth, later Anglicized to Karen...

Ms. Chao said she wanted Kai-lan “to be a Chinese-American role model, to be independent, to have a voice, to take the initiative and to not always have to follow others.” Ms. Harrington, the executive producer, said she hoped the series would have a special resonance for the estimated 60,000 girls in the United States who have been adopted from Chinese orphanages.

The series is to premiere in fall 2007 and teach viewers simple Mandarin words while giving a perspective of bicultural living.

Details of Nickelodeon's current culturally diverse line-up:

El Tigre, debuted this past March, is an animated series featuring a Mexican-American teenager who chooses between the life of a superhero or that of a villain.

Just Jordan, debuted in January 2007, is a sitcom about an African-American teenager who deals with ordinary “issues,” such as trying to figure out what girls look for in a guy.

Go, Diego, Go!, an animated series for preschool-aged children. In Go, Diego, Go!, bilingual eight-year-old Diego Márquez (cousin to Dora the Explorer) and his jaguar companion Baby Jaguar, set out to help animals in danger. Diego's 11-year-old sister Alicia also lends a hand with her computer whiz skills. Dora makes several guest appearances in the series.

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Where is the CCAA in Line--Current Wait Times

The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has finished the review of the China dossiers registered with our office before March 31, 2006.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before October 26, 2005.

http://www.china-ccaa.org/frames/index_unlogin_en.jsp

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Children's Hope Gains License for Ethiopia Adoptions!

Today the good news finally arrived about Children’s Hope’s new program for adoptions from Ethiopia. With the signature of the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice, Children’s Hope finalized the official accreditation process as an international adoption and humanitarian aid agency in Ethiopia. Children’s Hope is only the seventh U.S. adoption agency to be licensed in the African country.

Sharon Turner, Children’s Hope Ethiopia Adoption Director, says the over 30 families on her waiting list were excited to hear that their adoption process can now move forward.Turner says the adoption process will move quickly for the first several families now that Children’s Hope is officially licensed.

With nearly 4 million orphans in Ethiopia, the need is great. Ethiopia placed 731 orphans in U.S. homes in 2006 that is up from the 289 adoptions in 2004.

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Region Once Closed in Kazakhstan Now Open

The Kazakhstan Ministry of Education along with the Department of Education of Almaty City are allowing the Almaty region to re-open to international adoption. For over a year, the Almaty region has been closed to Americans adopting from Kazakhstan as a restrictive effort imposed to enforce timely post-placement report submittal from American agencies. Some European agencies were able to proceed with adoptions in that region during the closure.

Because Children’s Hope met post-placement deadlines as required, we expect to have more families receiving travel dates for that region soon.

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New Requirements for Prospective Parents for Waiting Child

The question: Do we need to meet new CCAA requirements to consider a Waiting Child?

The answer: In the fall of 2006, the CCAA communicated personally to our Beijing staff that the CCAA feels that families adopting waiting children should meet an even higher standard to parent a child with special needs. The CCAA has requested that CHI submit families that are fully prepared to parent a child with special needs and do not have any personal issues that would hinder their ability to parent such a child. At the end of October 2006 when the CCAA sent CHI the November list of waiting children, the CCAA Waiting Children's unit and the CCAA Department 1 requested that CHI not submit letters of intent (LOI) for China waiting children from families with any major issues. (No criminal background, mental issues such as depression or bipolar and/or major medical issues). Parent's age for a waiting child is still 30 to 55.

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Keeping You in the Know: Moving From Department 1 and On

The question: Does Children’s Hope generally let their prospective parents know when they have been approved in China’s Department 1 and moving on to the next department?

The answer: Yes, I watch the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) Web site (www.china-ccaa.org) and the CCAA posts the current status under Document Process on the right hand side of their web page. Right now it says,

“The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before March 22, 2006.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before October 13, 2005."

This means the CCAA Department 1 has reviewed and approved dossiers up to and including March 22, 2006 and the CCAA Department 2 has sent out referrals for dossiers logged in up to and including October 13, 2005."

When I see that the CCAA has updated their Web site, I'll post the CCAA's information to all the Children’s Hope China Yahoo groups. I also have many Children’s Hope helpers who watch the CCAA Web site, too!

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Agency Preference; Wait Times

The rumor: Some agencies are telling their clients to expect a 24 month wait, some are saying a 18 month wait is expected. Are some agencies given preference? Are smaller or newer agencies with less reputation than Children’s Hope having longer wait times?

The answer: China is unique in that they treat all countries and all agencies (big and small) equally when referring children. The CCAA sends out referrals based on the log in date (LID), or when .

The rumors and guesstimates you see from agencies and individuals are just that—rumors and guesstimates. The CCAA does not publish or announce any wait time from LID to referral. The only thing anyone knows for sure is how long the wait from LID to referral was as each referral group comes in.

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