March 2013 Newsletter - Hand In Hand International Adoptions

HAND IN HAND INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS
MARCH 2013 NEWSLETTER
COME VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE
Hand In Hand has a new website at www.HandInHandInternationalAdoptions.org. This
website may still be reached through the original URL www.hihiadopt.org, and
through www.HIHadopt.org and www.HandInHandAdoptionAgency.org. If you want your
family picture to be featured on the new website, send us your high-resolution pictures and
e-mail your local office for a consent form to sign, permitting use of the pictures on the
site. If you wish to write a testimonial, we would happily add that as well. Your stories
encourage other families to open their hearts to adoption!
WE RETREATED…BUT WE ARE BACK
Last month nine Hand In Hand staff members retreated to a rural church camp and worked from
breakfast until bedtime to discuss current programs, possible new programs we are looking into or
working on, the continued need for families for waiting children around the world, ways we can better
reach the current generation of families who find their information on line, through Facebook, Twitter
and other social media, and our commitment as an agency to be there for families not only during the
adoption process but for the years to come (part of our “cradle to grave” philosophy and conviction.) We
shared and studied new research and practices in working with families and children and came away
feeling blessed to be doing the work we do on behalf of the children who wait and the families who are
led to adopt them. In case you don’t know us, we are (left to right) June, Kim, Bonnie, Susan, Kim,
Karin, MaryLee, Vickie and Rosemary.
LAST CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SUMMER HOST PROGRAM
Do you enjoy children of the “tween” and teenage years? Do you feel you are especially good with them?
Maybe you have grown children and find yourself still wanting to parent and influence young lives. If so,
then you are the kind of family we need! We have received information including photos and complete
background information on several children from the Philippines who could be involved in our hosting
program this summer in the US. So far we have families for 8 of them. There are many more who
would like to participate though. If you are interested in learning more, contact [email protected].
This is a wonderful opportunity for individual children or sibling groups of older children who have not yet
found an adoptive family. The child comes to the US for a month and stays with a family that is strongly
considering adoption. The child gets a respite from orphanage life and the family gets the opportunity to
see if a connection is formed that will make them decide they could be the forever family for that child.
For testimonials about participation in hosting programs, please see our blog www.kidswait.org. If you
cannot host but would like to help a child participate, please consider contributing to a scholarship to assist
a child in coming. Donate to Philippines Hosting Scholarships
FLORIDA – ADOPTION ORIENTATION
Free Orientation on International Adoption: Saturday, April 6, 2013 in Inverness, Florida at a
time and location to be announced. (To get details and register, e-mail [email protected] or call
352-464-0846.) At these orientations we discuss the history of the agency, our personal connections
to adoption, the country programs we have, the types of children who are in need of adoption, the
requirements for adoptive parents, the processing of an international adoption, the training that
we provide to adoptive families regarding issues they may encounter as they raise an adopted
child, the services we provide to families throughout the adoption process and long afterwards
(such as Motherland Tours to the country of a child's birth), how families finance an adoption, our
special work on behalf of children who are older or have special needs, our Summer Hosting
Programs, plus any other question a family may have. If you want to learn more about us before
coming to the orientation, please visit our website www.hihiadopt.org , our Facebook page, or our
blog www.kidswait.org.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Do we have your current contact information? Please email us with your address, phone or e-mail contacts if
they have changed. We would like to be sure we can still reach you and keep you informed on agency and
adoption-related issues.
CULTURE CAMPS
Looking at your plans for summer? Why not consider a culture camp in beautiful Colorado?
Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families, Inc. serves as a post adoption resource and advocate for
children and families with diverse heritages. We accomplish this by facilitating annual heritage camps,
which provide culturally relevant and family-centered experiences for every member of the family.
These camps provide an opportunity to share in a common experience that fulfils a sense of community
and individual identity. It is our hope that every adopted child will leave a heritage camp knowing
more about who they are and where they came from, and that every member of the family will have a
better awareness of and sense of pride in their adopted child's birth heritage. The camps let children
and families relish in being part of a larger group “just like themselves.” Countries/Cultures
Represented: *Africa *Cambodia *China *Ethiopia *Guatemala *Haiti *India *Kazakhstan * Korea
*Mexico *Nepal *Philippines *Russia *Ukraine *Viet Nam *United States.
Learn more about us, check our calendar, and register at http://www.heritagecamps.org/
CIVICS LESSONS FOR OUR CHILDREN
Do you homeschool your children? Or have you adopted an older child who has limited knowledge of the US
political system? In either case, here is some educational material from the US Citizenship and
Immigration Service which you may find valuable.
Did you know that there are 18 questions on the naturalization test about U.S. presidents? For example,
prospective citizens may be asked “Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?” or “Who vetoes bills?”
In recognition of Presidents’ Day, USCIS developed a page on the Citizenship Resource Center that
highlights USCIS educational resources covering the powers and history of the presidency and some of the
important leaders who helped shape this country. Visit this special section to access classroom and other
related materials for learners and teachers.
HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE “STUCK” TOUR?
STUCK is a film/documentary about the current status of the world's orphans and the
policies and attitudes set forth by governments (US and abroad) that make international
adoption a difficult and often impossible process. This film is much more than a
documentary: it is a love story following three families as they journey into the world of
international adoption. Both Ends Burning, the organization that has created STUCK, is
going on a 60-cities-in-80-days tour to inform people about the current crisis in international
adoption. To learn more, visit: https://bothendsburning.org/ To find out when it is coming
to your city, click here: https://bothendsburning.org/initiatives/stuck-tour/itinerary/
COUNTRY UPDATES
China – The China Center of Adoption Affairs has most recently matched families with log-in dates of October
19, 2006. If your dossier is logged in for a regular match and you are getting discouraged with the wait, please
know that you can consider the match of a special needs child without removing your dossier from your “place in
line” at CCAA. If you know you want to do this, please contact us at [email protected] and submit an
updated Type of Child form so that our staff in China can know which child may be a possibility for you.
China/Special Needs – We can assist families with adoption of children with special needs from China in three
ways, including being matched from the Shared List, being matched to a child who has been designated “Special
Focus” because he or she has waited over a month to be matched, or by adopting a child from a province where
Hand In Hand has a direct relationship to help match waiting children.
China and Single Applicants – Single females may adopt a child through China’s Special Focus program. The
specific requirements the applicant has to meet can be found on the US State Department website at:
http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&ale
rt_notice_file=china_1 Persons interested in this option can contact any Hand In Hand office for information on
which Special Focus children are currently waiting for families. Brief information on the children is also posted
on Hand In Hand’s Facebook page and blog www.kidswait.org .
China – Two children - It is possible for a married couple to adopt two children from China at once or
successively in the same year, if at least one of them is a Special Focus child. In some cases the same dossier can
be used (with a few additions) so the costs can be reduced for the second case.
Haiti – Hand In Hand is happy to report that over the past few months, we have received several new referrals of
precious, beautiful children for our waiting adoptive families, and we have had many of our in-process families
travel to Haiti for the first part of the in-country process of attending Haitian lower and higher courts and filing
their I-600 forms with the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince. These traveling families have also had the blessing of
meeting their children in person, spending time with them at the crèche, and bonding with them in anticipation of
being together forever when the process is complete. We also celebrate with the most recent family who traveled
to Haiti to bring home their daughters! We share all this with you to say that the process, although very slow at
times, is still moving along, so be encouraged! IBESR recently announced their list of accredited agencies for
future work placing Haitian children with US families. Unfortunately, due to a glitch with our paperwork, Hand
In Hand was not included on this list, but we continue to work with Dr. Bernard and IBESR to see our name
added to the list of accredited U.S. agencies. This delay in accreditation does not affect any families currently
matched and in process in Haiti, and we will keep you informed with any progress or news we receive. After
working in Haiti since 1990, Hand In Hand is committed to continuing our work in Haiti with the utmost
integrity, and we look forward to future opportunities in this country. If you have specific questions regarding
your case, please contact your local HIH office or Karin Link, Haiti Program Director, at
[email protected].
Philippines – The Philippines has a temporary moratorium on applications from families wanting young, healthy
children. Their goal is to place children with the already approved applicants before opening their doors for more
applications on a very limited basis. The moratorium does not apply to children over 6 years old or those with
special needs. Per new rules effective March 1, 2012 applicants for Philippine adoption should have at least a high
school diploma, a minimum annual income of $40,000 and no more than two divorces.
Philippines Single Parent Adoption – As of March 1, 2012 single applicants for adoption from the Philippines
must be open to the adoption of children 9 years old or older. The parent must be at least 16 years older than the
child but not more than 45 years older than the child.
Philippines Special Home Find - There are many Filipino children who are older than six or who have special
needs or who are a part of a sibling group who need families. They are listed on a Special Home Find list and
families can review the list and apply to adopt a child they think could fit well into their family. Contact the
Indiana office to have the list emailed to you.
LEARNING MORE ABOUT CHINA
Are you home with your child from China and working on his/her life book? Do you want to learn
more about where your child came from? Some adoptive families have found much of value, in
some cases even their child’s “finding photos” at www.Research-China.org. Our hearts were
touched at reading the author’s blog called Ripples where he describes finally understanding the
root of his daughter’s fear of getting water on her face. “Research-China.Org has grown a lot in the
10 years we have been researching in China. At the start of our 11th year, we thought it might be
useful to remind or inform families just what we have to offer adoptive families that seek to
understand their child's history, and learn more about their orphanage. So, here is a list of exactly
what we have to offer.” Go to blog.
STORIES OF ADULT TRANSNATIONAL ADOPTEES AND THEIR AMERICAN PARENTS
(Though much of what we write in this newsletter is for relatively new adoptive families with younger children,
many of us already have grown adopted children. The following is from a website and research on the
relationships between grown international adoptees and their parents.)
While important and significant, little of the academic, adoptee, or adoptive parent literature has, to date,
combined the voices and experiences of adult transnational adoptees (ages 18+) and their adoptive American
parents. Our IRB-approved research focuses specifically on that relationship. It explores the process by which
transnational adoptees and their parents negotiate the complex and sometimes thorny issues related to adoption,
race, and cultural/ethnic identity. http://transnational-adoptee-parent-study.webs.com/
From the response our adoption project, Stories of Adult Transnational Adoptees and Their American Parents, has
generated, it is clear that this research is not only timely but also of great interest. Some of the results were posted
on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Stories.Adoptee.Parent). In the upcoming months we plan to
compile our results into a reader-friendly format that will be uploaded to our website (http://transnationaladoptee-parent-study.webs.com/).
COLORADO EVENTS
1. Colorado Free Days...free days at local area attractions for families to
enjoy http://tae.convio.net/site/DocServer/2013_Colorado_Free_Days.pdf?docID=8241
2. Post adoption support groups: 8 week support group facilitated by a psychologist who is an
adoptee and adoptive parent in Littleton, CO http://www.growbeyondwords.com/support-groups/
3. Parent Empowerment Workshop:
http://tae.convio.net/site/DocServer/group_flyer_imagine_1_.pdf?docID=8421
WHO WILL ADOPT THE BOYS?
(We have talked about this before but believe it bears repeating. Generally boys wait much longer to
be adopted than girls do. Is this right or fair? Here is a blog post from Creating a Family on the
topic.)
Across the board, pre-adoptive parents express a strong preference to adopt girls over boys. Check out
this week's blog to understand why, and what my personal experience is as the mom to sons.
Blog: The Wonder of Boys
It remains a sad and frustrating fact that the majority of adoptive parents prefer girls. Adoption
agencies tell me that if given a choice about 80% of pre-adoptive parents choose a girl. In special needs
international adoption where there is a list of children with special needs, almost inevitably the little
girls find families while the little boys wait. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about why this preference
for girls exists. (See my blog Snips and Snails Vs. Sugar and Spice: Gender Preferences In Adoption.)
As the mom of 2 boys and 2 girls who are teens and beyond, I’d like to share my perspective. First, a
confession: Before I had kids, I really really wanted a girl for many of the reasons I pointed out in
my Snips ‘n Snails blog. ... Read the full blog at http://ow.ly/htXR2
OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ON A MEDICAL MISSION TO GUATEMALA
Dear Friends and Family,
As many of you already know, Carmen and I adopted our incredibly wonderful daughter from
Guatemala. During our adoption process we were fortunate to be given the opportunity to foster
Tenley and live in Guatemala during part of our adoption. This was not only adventuresome,
educational, and life changing, but it gave us the chance to connect with a beautiful people. These
people not only befriended and welcomed us with open arms into their country and culture, but they
became family. This new family, however, is from a third world country that is in desperate need of
economic and governmental reform. Put simply, they are economically poor but rich in life and family.
I will be traveling again to the Panajachel region near Lake Atitlan, April 27-May 6, 2013 with DoCares
International and Rocky Vista University. During my trip in March '12, we were able to provide
medical care to almost 1000 people. We are starting to see the benefits of our work in some of the
villages especially with the kids. Many of them we have watched grow since birth and are much
healthier from the education, vitamins and medicines we leave behind. Unfortunately I can't say that
about the young teens and adults as they continue to struggle with malnourishment, disease and
illness. These trips are always difficult on the mission staff because you want to give these people the
world but time, distance and finances limits us to this small much needed yearly mission.
This year my 5 year old, Tenley is following in my footsteps and getting the opportunity to help her people
(Kaquikel Mayans) by serving in the clinic with us. When we set up our field clinic in the village, the people
come from miles around for help and end up waiting many hours to see our docs.......so I came up with a plan
several years ago that when Tenley gets old enough, she could come and help entertain kids while they wait. We
will be setting up a table with chairs so that the kids can color and play games while they wait and Tenley is going
to be running that "division" of the clinic. :) So, we are asking for a little extra this year to buy crayons, which
the kids can take back to their villages since that is a luxury many of the kids don't have.
These missions are "self-supported", meaning that each participating member pays for 100% of their
airfare/lodging/travel/food both to/from the US and while in country. While in Guatemala, we do
everything we can to insure every penny is pinched and the rest is directed towards our mission of
medically helping the poor and needy people of Guatemala. We will travel to over 8 remote villages
helping approximately 125 people in each village. As you can imagine, sleeping in remote Mayan
villages is no "vacation" but seeing the smiling faces of gratitude and getting the chance to serve makes
the sacrifices all worth it and truly a blessing for Tenley and I.
So, with that being said, I'd like to ask you to sponsor Tenley and I on this much needed endeavor by
making a small monetary contribution. Any amount big or small would be greatly appreciated and
helps the people immensely. CNN, just a year ago, reported that Guatemala is now the most
malnourished country in the America's. I cannot plead with you enough, to please help those less
fortunate souls in Guatemala. Tenley thanks you, I thank you, and the kind and loving people of
Guatemala thank you. If you are unable to help financially, then please support me with your thoughts
and prayers while I'm in country with Tenley and while we prepare to travel to what I consider MY
"second" country that I've adopted and love dearly.
God Bless, Scott, Carmen and Tenley Vinas
Please mail your gifts of love to: Scott Vinas, 70 Audrey Circle, Breckenridge, CO. 80424
[email protected]
WE CAN DO YOUR HOME STUDY
If you live in a state where we have an office (Colorado, Florida, Indiana or Minnesota) and you are
completing an adoption with a different agency not in your state, you can look to us for home study
services. Since we are licensed in each state where we have an office and we are Hague-accredited, we
are most likely able to provide home studies, adoption training, and post placement services that will
meet the requirements of the placing agency and whichever foreign country you are adopting from.
Contact any of our offices for more details.
PHILIPPINE SPECIAL HOME FIND CHILDREN
Our list of waiting children, comprised mostly of children in the Philippines who are older than six, or
members of a sibling group, or who have a special need, is now 55 pages long (that’s one brief
description per child and small font!) Email us if you want to receive a copy of the list. Or look for it on
our website. Then if you see children who interest you, we can send you photos and more complete
information. Many of these children are also described on our blog www.kidswait.org along with
information about what their special need or age may mean for their adoptive family.
CHINA SPECIAL FOCUS CHILDREN
The following children are waiting in China through our Special Focus program. Visit our blog at
www.KidsWait.org to see their photos and more information, as well as to learn more about the
implications of each child’s medical condition. Maybe something that seems scary on first glance will
not be after you learn more about the condition and what services we have available to us in the US for
children with these conditions!
Girl 109F – born 12/5/08 – underdevelopment of right hand, language delay
Boy 1217 C –born 11/24/10 – spina bifida
Boy 1205A – born 1/1/01 - Down Syndrome
Girl 1205B – born 1/1/01 – post-operative anal atresia, right aural deformity
Girl 1115E – born 10/10/09 – Down Syndrome
Boy 1115F – born 5/1/10 – mild cerebral palsy
Boy 1107 C - born 3/3/10 - Sacral meningomyelocele; Postoperative Tethered Cord Syndrome
Boy 1028A – Boy born 1/6/07 -– spina bifia occulta (post-operative)
Boy 1028B – boy born 3/12/07 – developmental delay
Boy 823 T – boy born 5/1/08 – congenital heart disease
Boy 702L - boy born 3/9/08 – congenital deafness (bilateral)
Boy 711Q – born 6/21/01 – esotropia, partial cerebral sulcuses
To see their photos and full files contact us at [email protected].
UPCOMING HAND IN HAND EVENTS IN INDIANA
Hand In Hand Adoptive Parents Training Classes: Day 2 – Saturday, March 16, 2013; Day 3 –Saturday, April
20, 2013; Day 4 – Saturday, May 18, 2013. All classes are at the Hand In Hand office and are from 8:30 AM
to 4 PM. Please contact us at 260-636-3566 or [email protected] to let us know you will be coming.
Hand In Hand is on Twitter...And You Can Help!
Hand In Hand's KidsWait outreach is on Twitter as @KidsWait. Please follow us and mention it to your
friends and followers. The more people we reach, the higher the chances of finding forever families for all
the Special Focus and Special Home Find kids.
RAINBOW KIDS
Hand In Hand is now on Rainbow Kids. This provides us an opportunity to use their extensive networking to help
find families for waiting children. Check them out at www.rainbowkids.com and sign up to receive their free online newsletters.
HAND IN HAND IS A HAGUE-ACCREDITED ADOPTION AGENCY
Since February 29, 2008 Hand In Hand has had full accreditation by the US Department of State to perform
adoptions under the Hague Convention. This means we are able to assist families with adoptions from any other
country that is party to the Hague Convention. The purpose of the Hague Convention is to safeguard the rights of
children being adopted as well as the rights of the adoptive parents. Being accredited means we have met such
standards as education of adoptive parents, professional qualifications and training of staff, ethical practices,
maintenance of records, services after an adoption, etc.