February 2013 Newsletter - Hand In Hand International Adoptions

HAND IN HAND INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS
FEBRUARY 2013 NEWSLETTER
DAILY SURVIVAL KIT – FOR YOU OR A LOVED ONE
Here is a kit you can put together for yourself or someone you love this Valentine’s Day!
 Toothpick – to remind you to pick the good qualities in everyone, including yourself.
 Rubber band – to remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you
want, but it can be worked out.
 Band-Aid – to remind you to heal hurt feelings, either yours or someone else’s.
 Eraser – to remind you everyone makes mistakes. That’s okay; we learn by our errors.
 Candy Kiss – to remind you everyone needs a hug or compliment every day.
 Mint – to remind you that you are “worth a mint” to your family and community.
 Bubble Gum – to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything.
 Pencil – to remind you to list your blessings every day.
 Tea Bag – to remind you to take time to relax daily and go over the list of God’s
blessings.
POTENTIAL HOST CHILDREN FOR THIS SUMMER
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.
They include:
TA – boy born June 1998
AO – boy born January 2002
JC and JC – brother and sister born October 1999 and June 2002
JML – boy born April 2001
JP and JLC – brothers born May 2000 and December 2001
JM – boy born February 2000
WS and WF – sisters born November 1998 and April 2000
CR, AR and JR – sister, brother and sister born October 1998, October 1999 and July 2001
RF and LF – brothers born August 1998 and July 1999
If you are interested in learning more about any child or sibling set listed, 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
STAFF “RETREATING”
Please be advised that the staff of Hand In Hand will be having a retreat during the week of February
25, 2013. We will not be in our offices that week. However, we will have access to our email and will be
able to reach or respond to families with anything urgent or time-critical during that week.
UPDATE ON ADOPTIONS FROM RUSSIA
Since news of Russia’s new law banning adoptions by US citizens, Hand In Hand has been
hard at work advocating for families currently in process. We are happy to share that for
adoption cases whose court hearings took place prior to January 1, 2013, Hand In Hand
families are either home with their children or will be soon. Our coordinators have worked
hard to assist these families, and we are so thankful that their children are now or will soon be
with their forever families. Although nothing has yet been determined by Russian law with
regard to cases other than those whose court cases took place prior to January 1, much is being
done by the US government on behalf of all pending cases, regardless of where in the process
they may be. We continue to pray that for the sake of the children, any cases in progress prior
to the ban will be allowed to continue. As always, we encourage you to check the US
Department of State website for further updates, at www.adoption.state.gov
“TRI” FOR HAND IN HAND AND THE CHILDREN WE SERVE
Are you a triathlete or a triathlete wannabe? Is getting in shape one of your New Year’s
resolutions? Why not sign up for a triathlon and help children in need at the same
time?? Your Cause Sports is hosting two triathlons this summer in beautiful Boulder
Colorado! Whether you’re a Colorado resident or not, why not visit colorful Colorado this
summer and give a triathlon a “tri”?
Visit this website: http://www.yourcausesports.org/events/ Choose the triathlon you want
to do. Be sure to choose “Hand In Hand” as your cause at registration. Once you have your
fundraising page set up, email us the link. We would be more than happy to promote your
triathlon fundraising page for Hand In Hand on our Facebook page! Give it a TRI!!!
WANTED - PHOTOS AND TESTIMONIALS
We are in the process of updating and reformatting our website. Can we include photos of your
child or family, as well as a quote or testimonial about your work with Hand In Hand? You can
email your contribution to any Hand In Hand office. Then we will email you a release to sign to
give us permission to use your contributions. Thanks so much for helping us make the Hand In
Hand website more attractive, useful and current!
RECOMMENDED BY OUR READERS
We received several recommendations of good blogs, websites or YouTube clips helpful to adoptive
families this past month and thought we would pass them on to you:
 From a mom adopting an older child: I don't know if you've heard of her, but she has a lot of
short YouTube clips on her site. I thought they seemed really good.
http://www.youtube.com/user/christinemoers And here is her website:
http://www.welcometomybrain.net/p/about.html
 From a mom wondering about helping her child make friends: At least I know that I am not
the only mom who struggles with this – I found an article called “Friendships, Social Skills, and
Adoption: Easing the way to friendship for our children” at:
http://www.rainbowkids.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=671
 From one of our staff who knows the issues families deal with called “Answers for Friends and
Families” at http://www.rainbowkids.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=801 Sample headers from
sections of this article include: Be considerate of the types of questions that you ask about our
child's background and personal history, especially in their presence and especially if they are
old enough to understand; and Sometimes adopted children need to be parented differently
than biological children.


From a family looking for information to share with families and friends who want to be
helpful but may not know how! http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2011/11/02/how-to-be-thevillage
From a family with many children looking for inspiration or explanation for others who
question why she does it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rztYMMhMT2Y entitled “I Like
Adoption” – you will love this family with multiple kids including several with special needs.
COUNTRY UPDATES
China – The China Center of Adoption Affairs has most recently matched families with log-in dates of October
17, 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.
CHILDREN RECENTLY PLACED WITH THEIR
We rejoice with these families who have recently arrived
Child’s Name
Age at Arrival
Country From
Isabelle E.
6
China
Jacqline B.
11
Philippines
Mary Grace C.
15
Philippines
Mary Jane C.
17
Philippines
Zhen Hao S.
3
China
Sarah Y.
1½
Haiti
Rebecca Y.
7
Haiti
Alksandra W.
7
Russia
Maria S.
2½
Russia
Camdyn Q.
4
Russia
Polina S.
5½
Russia
FOREVER FAMILIES
home with their new children.
Family’s State
Massachusetts
Indiana
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Florida
Indiana
Indiana
California
Kentucky
California
Arkansas
WHAT IS UNIVERSAL ACCREDITATION?
A new law has been passed in Congress which will eventually require all adoption agencies to have Hague
accreditation, even if they work in countries which are not party to the Hague Convention. Since Hand In Hand
is already a Hague agency, this will not have an adverse effect on us or the families or countries we serve.
Following is the State Department notice about the law.
On January 14, 2013, the President signed The Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012
(UAA), one of the last bills passed in the final days of the 112th Congress. The effective date of the UAA is July
14, 2014, 18 months after the President's signature.
The UAA has broad implications for all U.S. adoption service providers (ASPs) active in intercountry adoption. It
affects currently accredited or approved ASPs and those ASPs with programs only in non-Hague Adoption
Convention countries of origin, where federal accreditation or approval was not previously required.
The purpose of the UAA is to apply the provisions of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA) concerning
the accreditation of ASPs to agencies and persons providing adoption services in cases involving children
described in Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) section 101(b)(1)(F) and adopted through the orphan process.
By requiring all ASPs handling cases under 101(b)(1)(F) and 101(b)(1)(G) (concerning children habitually
resident in Hague Adoption Convention countries) to receive the same accreditation under federal standards,
families adopting internationally will have the assurance that regardless from where they adopt, the ASP they
choose to work with will be in substantial compliance with the same ethical standards of practice and conduct.
Previously, the conduct of accredited agencies in non-Convention cases did not generally fall under the oversight
and monitoring responsibilities of the Department of State-designated accrediting entities (AEs). Such conduct is
now subject to the oversight and monitoring by AEs. The UAA also extends the enforcement provisions of the
IAA to ASPs providing adoption services in orphan cases.
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.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
JKP Books often features titles that are relevant to our families. Here is a recent one:
Re-parenting the Child Who Hurts: A Guide to Healing Developmental Trauma and Attachments
by Caroline Archer and Christine Gordon
Finally, a parenting book which demystifies the latest thinking on neurobiology, physiology and
trauma and explains what the research means for the everyday life of parents of children who hurt.
As experts on adoption and fostering who are adoptive parents themselves, Caroline Archer and
Christine Gordon explain how this knowledge can help parents to better understand and care for their
child. They explain why conventional parenting techniques are often not helpful for the child who has
experienced early trauma and explore why therapeutic re-parenting is the only way to help repair the
unhealthy neurobiological and behavioral patterns which affect the child's development. They do not
shy away from how difficult re-parenting is, acknowledging how hard it can be to recognize our own
fallibility as parents and to change our own parenting patterns. The authors also offer hard-won advice
on a range of common parenting flashpoints - from defusing arguments and aggression to negotiating
bedtimes and breaks in routine, and making sure that special occasions are remembered for all the
right reasons. To order the book or read More »
“SO WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN CHINA?”
Over the years, as the wait for the match of a healthy child from China grew longer and longer, Hand In Hand
staff heard this question frequently. We would answer as best we could based on our conversations with staff and
officials in China, as well as our own observations. But now we have come across this informative blog series by
Amy Eldridge at Love Without Boundaries about her take on the changing population of Chinese orphanages. It
is full of insight and facts. We are looking forward to more installments!
Here are the links so far:
Changing face of China’s orphans
http://www.lwbcommunity.org/the-changing-face-of-chinas-orphans
Changing Attitudes
http://www.lwbcommunity.org/changing-attitudes
The Adoption of Boys (this was especially informative)
http://www.lwbcommunity.org/the-adoption-of-boys
Domestic Adoption on the Rise
http://www.lwbcommunity.org/domestic-adoption-on-the-rise
SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADOPTED KIDS
Creating a Family is a radio show and website for families who adopt or are going through fertility
treatment. A recent radio show is described as follows: While sexual development follows much the same
pattern for all children, there are some special issues that adopted children might face, including
precocious puberty, questions about how the birds and bees applies to them, childhood sexual abuse, etc.
Guest speakers include Dr. Bradley Miller, Pediatric Endocrinologist at the University of Minnesota and
Joyce Maguire Pavao, a therapist specializing in adoption and an adjunct faculty member in Psychiatry at
Harvard Medical School. You can download the show at the Radio page http://bit.ly/i2102M.
LYING…STEALING
On a listserv some of our staff are on, a mom posed a question about her child’s lying and stealing behaviors.
Among several responses to her was this one: The Minnesota Adoption Resource Network web site has webinars
on many topics about parenting children through adoption. There is a webinar recorded by a local therapist,
Deena McMahon, called “Lying, Stealing and Running Away…oh my!” I thought this might be helpful for your
situation. http://www.mnadopt.org/webinars.php
ADOPTION TAX CREDIT
Since it is that time of year again and we are all working on our taxes, one of our adoptive families
shared this new information regarding the adoption tax credit.
http://adoptiontaxcreditdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/atc_faqs_january_2013.pdf
Also, the newest Creating a Family radio show is on this topic. “We'll answer all your questions about
the Adoption Tax Credit. Our guests will be Mark McDermott, adoption attorney and adoption tax credit
expert; and Josh Kroll, the adoption tax credit expert at the North American Council on Adoptable
Children.” You can listen/download the show at the Radio page http://bit.ly/i2102M
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 44 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!
Boy 109E – born August 17, 2010- bilateral hands and feet deformity, HBV carrier
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 October 10, 2009 – 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 4-Saturday, February 16, 2013; Day 2 – Saturday,
March 16, 2013; Day 3 – on a Saturday to be determined in April, 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.
YOU CAN BENEFIT BY REFERRING A FAMILY TO HAND IN HAND
If you are already a Hand In Hand family (past or present) and you refer a family to Hand In Hand and they
submit an application and indicate on it that you referred them, Hand In Hand will give a $200 credit toward your
next Hand In Hand payment for either your current adoption process or your next adoption through Hand In
Hand.
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.