Laura Christianson » Orphan Care

Fantastic Ways to Celebrate National Adoption Month

Laura Christianson — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:31:25 +0000

November is National Adoption Month, and Sunday, November 8 is Orphan Sunday.

Here are links to articles and videos that celebrate adoption:

Orphan Sunday, Live, From Nashville – With Steven Curtis Chapman, Jim Daly and Dennis Rainey. If you missed the live event, you can watch it at GospelMusicChannel.com starting Friday evening, Nov 13, 2009.

Adoption and Discipleship – from Jason Kovacs

Our Adoption in Christ – What it Means for Us and For Orphans (free e-book from Together for Adoption)

What it’s really like when you finalize your child’s adoption in court – Video from Carla Williams

Carla Williams’ adoption story (she’s an adoptive grandma) – at Christian MomLogic

30 Ways to Celebrate National Adoption Month – from me

Sidney Gaskins is devoting all her blog posts this November to National Adoption Month. Her blog is The Pulse. She tweets @enterprisinglyf

See how others are marking National Adoption Month all across the country.

Starting an Adoption Support Network (YouTube Video)

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:57:41 +0000

Want to learn some easy, low-budget tips for starting an adoption support community? Watch this 10-minute video. During my appearance on the TV talk show, The Harvest Show, I explain:

Why it's critical to start an adoption support network for adoptive families, birth families, and adopted people.
Tips for how anyone can start an adoption support community.
Low-budget suggestions for how to start a ministry in your church.
Forming healthy relationships between birth & adoptive families in open adoption.

Orphan Care Foundations

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Cynthia Peck, who writes the blog, "Family Building: From Where I Sit," recommended a couple of orphan care programs, started by retired founders of their own international adoption programs.

Cynthia writes:

"My special interest in these two programs stems from the fact that international adoption agency bashing as “big business” is a favorite occupation of the media today. In my experience, responsible agencies that have been around for a while are inspirationally dedicated to giving back to children for whom international adoption–which is available only to a tiny percent of the world’s orphaned population–is only a dream.

The Degenhardt Foundation
www.degenhardtfoundation.org/index.html

Dawn Degenhardt has been dedicated to bringing children and families together through adoption for more than 30 years. While living in Cleveland, Ohio, she co-founded the Ohio chapter of COAC (Council on Adoptable Children) and was a pioneer in changing the foster care/adoption system.

Dawn also co-founded Spaulding of Beechbrook, which is still in existence today placing special needs children. After moving back to her home state of Maine, she founded an internationally recognized adoption agency, which has placed more than 4,000 children. Dawn's concern for children still in orphanages around the world prompted the development of many humanitarian aid projects.

Wanting to devote her energy to this issue after retirement, Dawn, with family and friends, created The Degenhardt Foundation. Dawn and her husband Ed are the parents of nine adopted children, now grown with their own families.

The foundation's current focus is on humanitarian aid projects in Vietnam.

Alliance for Children Foundation
www.afcfoundation.org

The Alliance for Children Foundation is an international relief organization dedicated to improving the physical and emotional well being of abandoned children living in orphanages in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.

Started four years ago by Filis Casey (founder of Alliance for Children in Waltham, MA). the Foundation's projects in medical care, basic needs, and education seek to heal, strengthen and empower the world's most vulnerable children, especially those who are less likely to be adopted due to age or special needs.

One of their most significant efforts has been the establishment of villages for foster parents who are trained and paid to provide care of up to 6 children with disabilities. Filis Casey developed this program as a joint venture with officials in several provinces who contribute the ongoing supervision of the families.

Orphan Care Organization: SOS Children

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:00:00 +0000

I’ve been featuring several orphan care organizations lately. Here’s another one:

SOS Children
www.soschildren.org

Mary Wolfe from SOS Children writes:

We are the world’s largest orphan charity, working in 123 countries, caring directly for 60,000 children who have been orphaned or abandoned. We provide a full-time mom (SOS Mother) and children live in family houses in unique SOS Children’s Villages. We create a family for life for children affected by war, famine, and disaster.

We help a further one million in the community through SOS Schools, Medical and Social centres, while SOS Vocational Training Centres provide skills and training to help independence.

What it’s Like to Participate in an Orphan Hosting Program

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:00:00 +0000

The last two posts have introduced you to orphan hosting programs. Linda Goodnight has hosted four children since 2005. She told me about her experiences with two hosting programs that she recommends:

URGEX, U.S.-Russian Global Exchange
www.urgex.net

Fostering Hope
www.hopeukraine.org

Q: Do you need to be actively seeking adoption in order to participate in the program?

A: Not with these two. Not at all. In fact, they are host-only programs, although some people do end up adopting their hosted child.

Q: What training do host families receive prior to the child’s visit?

A: With both Fostering Hope and Urgex, an e-mail seminar is provided.

Urgex also provides a world of language info and other resources to prepare the host family.

Fostering Hope also has a close-knit group that meets to discuss the program and the coming children so that parents are prepared.

Q: How much does it cost to participate in the program?

A: Both programs were about $2,300 total. If you live on the east coast, this is quite a bit cheaper, but because I live in the central part of the U.S., the child had to be flown to me and this added another airline fare.

Q: How long does the child stay in your home?

A: 3-4 weeks, depending on the time of year.

Q: What host program activities do you and the child participate in during the visit?

A: Get-togethers with the other families.Each site has a coordinator that sets up some outings that all can attend. There are also telephone translators for any problems that may arise and a caregiver from the orphanage.We, personally, never had any issues.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of hosting an orphaned child?

A: You’re probably expecting me to say “language,” but it really wasn’t. There are many ways to communicate and we did incredibly well. The hardest thing about hosting is sending the children back at the end of the vacation. We know going in that this will happen, but it is still so, so difficult to say goodbye.

Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of hosting an orphaned child?

A: The entire experience is immensely rewarding.
Examples:

Seeing a child’s eyes when they experience something they have never seen before—something as simple as bubble bath or a vacuum cleaner or a clothes drier.

Hearing those first English words, spoken with a darling accent, “sank oo.”

Giving them the attention they have craved for so long and done without and watching them bloom from it. I could go on and on about the positives of opening your heart to a needy child.

Best of all, I keep up a correspondence with the kids, sending them little cards and gifts. They write back. I know I have touched lives forever. In fact, one child wrote about her hosting experience: “Those were the best days of my life.”

Q: Did you adopt the children you hosted?

A: We had planned to adopt the first child we hosted through a disreputable group. When that fell through, we decided to host for the joy of it and not worry about adoption anymore.

Q: Why do you recommend these programs?

A: Both of the programs I have discussed are professional, caring, wonderful programs who are deeply committed to the children. They do their best to keep the cost as low as possible and work hard to provide the most positive experience for everyone. They also both do humanitarian work in the orphanages before and after the hosting.

Related posts:

Orphan Hosting Programs: New Horizons for Children
Orphan Hosting Programs: The Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project
Cultural
Programs for Adopting Russian Orphans
Pros
and Cons of Hosting Programs for Soviet Bloc Orphans
The Foundation for Orphans – links
to many orphan hosting programs

Orphan Hosting Programs: The Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:00:00 +0000

In my last post, I introduced you to a program that brings orphans from other countries for short-term stays with host families in your area. Here’s another:

www.lhproject.com

Lisa Smith, program director, says this is “a Christian older orphan vacation hosting program for orphans from Russia. We have done 33+ trips since 1997 and I myself have helped more than 800+ Russian orphans become adopted. I lived in Russia for 10 years and am also a facilitator.

Their Website states:

Through 10-day vacation bible school trips to the US to prospective adopting host families, we have helped over 350 Russian orphans find Christian ‘forever homes’.

A fee of $600 for the first child you host is required to be paid by host families to defer the cost of the transportation of the children. In the case of sibling groups (related or unrelated sibs), parents are given the option of hosting a second child at an additional cost.

Lisa says she is looking for new hosting cities for her program. If you or your church is interested in having a group of older Russian orphans visit your area, please contact Lisa via her Website.

Related posts:

What It’s Like to Participate in an Orphan Hosting Program

Orphan Hosting Programs: New Horizons for Children

Cultural Programs for Adopting Russian Orphans

Pros
and Cons of Hosting Programs for Soviet Bloc Orphans

The Foundation for Orphans – links
to many orphan hosting programs

Other posts in the Orphan Care series:

7 Reasons Why 90% of the World’s Orphans Will Never Be Adopted

Orphan Care Organizations

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and
check out my Amazon Exploring
Adoption bookstore.

Orphan Hosting Programs: New Horizons for Children

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:10:31 +0000

If you’re thinking about adopting an older child internationally, you might consider participating in a program that brings children from other countries for short-term stays with host families in your area.
In the next few posts, I’ll be introducing you to several programs.

New Horizons for Children, Inc.
www.newhorizonsforchildren.org

Regional programs operate in the Northeast, Southeast, Central Texas, and West Coast. The deadline for applying to be a summer 2008 host family is April 30, 2008. Le Ann Dakake, Director of Hosting Programs, told me a bit about their program:

Q: Why did you start New Horizons for Children?

A: I started it after my husband and I adopted an older teen from Russia in 2000. Now he is 21 and his prayer has always been for God to help his friends and other orphans find families, too. We have now adopted 5 times… most recently after becoming a last minute backup family to a little boy age 5 with mild Cerebral Palsy… we weren’t expecting to adopt nor ever considered a handicapped child… he is now home and we can’t remember life without him in it! In all, we figure about 80% of our host families don’t expect to adopt, but 70%+ do.

Q: You are a non-denominational Christian ministry. Do your host families need to be Christians?

A: Our host families are of a Christian faith, and our aim is to share the love of Jesus with kids who may have never known or realize they do have a Father! The same one we all have, in Heaven, who loves them very much.

Q: Do you need to be actively seeking adoption in order to participate in the program?

A: No.

Q: What training do host families receive prior to the child’s visit?

A: Full day in Atlanta area or Philadelphia area, host parent training manual, telephone and email support and access to past host families.

Q: How much does it cost to participate in the program?

A: Cost of the child’s travel: $1,950 presently.

Q: How long does the child stay in your home?

A: 4-5 weeks (4 weeks at Christmas—mid-December through mid-January, or 5 weeks in summer—late June through early August)

Q: What host program activities do you and the child participate in during the visit?

A:

Group events if the family lives within the program radius on some weekends, usually 7-10 days apart.

Welcome party: America 101. This is a Christian experience with crafts and games.

Farewell party. Out of program families who live more than 2.5 hours from core programs in Atlanta or Houston or Philadelphia do not attend these and have other connection needs with email of photos, calls to chaperones etc.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of hosting an orphaned child?

A: Expectations of family and child not being equal. Keeping in mind the child is an orphan, and became that way from something that happened to them. They don’t “look like” orphans, so families tend to forget and raise expectations beyond what a child is ready for.
The farewell at the airport is really tough. But, all kids come as a group and must return as a group, or the program will end.

Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of hosting an orphaned child?

A: The blessing of experiencing life through a child’s eyes and teaching love from a family perspective, realizing communication is 20% verbal and 80% non-verbal and connecting with a child who came into your home not speaking your language or being familiar with your schedules, culture, meals, living conditions, ways of showing love, etc.

Related posts:

What it’s Like to Participate in an Orphan Hosting Program

The Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project

Cultural
Programs for Adopting Russian Orphans

Pros
and Cons of Hosting Programs for Soviet Bloc Orphans

The Foundation for Orphans – links
to many orphan hosting programs

Other posts in the Orphan Care series:

7 Reasons Why 90% of the World’s Orphans Will Never Be Adopted

Orphan Care Organizations

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and
check out my Amazon Exploring
Adoption bookstore.

Orphan Care Organizations

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:17:41 +0000

In my last post, I explained several reasons why 90 percent of the world’s orphans will never be adopted. I also introduced you to several orphan care organizations – caring folks who use creative methods to care for orphaned children.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to a couple more:

Buckner International
www.buckner.org
It’s Your Mission (info about Buckner’s international mission trips)
Missions Blog

Buckner International, a global Christian ministry based in Dallas, seeks justice for ‘the least of these’ by providing care and resources for orphans and at-risk children in the United States and more than 50 countries around the world. Through international orphanage support, humanitarian aid, short-term missions, foster care and adoption, Buckner has made a lasting impact in some of the world’s most poverty-stricken and socially desperate countries.

Jenny Pope, Publications Editor, writes:

"For more than 128 years, Buckner has been a progressive leader in the movement towards justice for orphans and widows. Today, Buckner works in an advisory role with many international governments to educate leaders on children’s issues and create new legislature ensuring lasting changes for at-risk children."

Carolina Hope Christian Adoption Agency
www.CarolinaHopeAdoption.org

I’ve previously introduced you to Dan Cruver, who blogs for Carolina Hope. The agency supports Ethiopian orphans through orphanage care and group home support.

Carolina Hope is also beginning a project to help government-supported children; this program is called Helping Orphans and Promoting Education (HOPE). Carolina Hope will support 50 orphans each year by providing school supplies and meeting other needs in the community. For more information, visit their Ethiopia Group Home Needs page.

Dan sent me a YouTube video created from footage captured during Carolina Hope’s recent trip to Ethiopia. He says that every shot of the (3 minute, 23 second) video was taken at “an orphanage that is located in a village with 20,000+ known cases of AIDS. It is a profoundly needy area. The video is interspersed with quotations from John Piper’s book, Don’t Waste Your Life.”

Related Posts:

7 Reasons Why 90% of the World’s Orphans Will Never Be Adopted
From Hope to Reality (an interview on Cruver’s blog)

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and
check out my Amazon Exploring
Adoption bookstore.

7 Reasons Why 90% of the World’s Orphans Will Never Be Adopted

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:36:52 +0000

Did you know that there are nearly 150 million orphans worldwide? You read that correctly. 150 million. It’s a number I can’t even wrap my mind around.

Did you know that 90 percent of the world’s orphans will never be adopted?

I can think of seven common reasons for this:

The orphaned children live in countries in which adoption is not culturally accepted.
The children are taken in by extended family members and are not formally adopted.
A government system cares for orphaned children (usually in orphanages) until they “age out” of the system.
Some orphans are deemed “un-adoptable” due to their medical, developmental, or cognitive needs.
Some children tagged “orphans” are not truly orphaned—many have at least one living birth parent.
Birth parents leave their child at an orphanage and promise to return later to pick up the child. If they never return and do not relinquish their parental rights, the child remains in limbo.
An orphaned child contracts HIV/AIDS.

The March issue of Adoption World eZine provides doable tips for how you can impact the life of an orphaned child. Since the eZine “went to press,” I’ve heard from several orphan care organizations. Each of them provided me a brief overview of what they do.

I hope the work these organizations are doing will inspire you to think about what you can do to impact the life of an orphan. Be sure to check out their Websites for detailed information.

Food for Orphans
www.FoodforOrphans.org

Food For Orphans is feeding orphans in Asia, Africa, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Gary VanDyke, founder and CEO, says:

We seek out and evaluate new orphan care projects that need assistance in providing food to hungry orphans. Our goal is to make sure that every orphan receives at least one nutritious meal per day.

orphanCare International/Dillon International
www.orphancareintl.org

For over 36 years orphanCare International/Dillon International has been dedicated to helping orphaned and abandoned children along with poverty-stricken families in some of the most neglected areas of the world.

Tonnie Dosser, Associate Director of Development, says:

“By providing educational support, medical care and daily care we hope to help create a brighter future for God’s children.”

Orphan Outreach and Mission Backpack
www.orphanoutreach.org
www.missionbackpack.org

Orphan Outreach has developed a clear mission to serve orphans and children at risk of being orphaned by providing a quality Christian education that prepares them for a fulfilling independent life in their community.

“Our school model focuses on advanced technology, economic development, bi-lingual education, spiritual development and community service. The focus of our educational program is to provide early intervention, quality education, and spiritual development, as well as improve the lives of orphans and children at risk of becoming orphans.”

If you want to get involved with Orphan Outreach, consider donating a school backpack to an orphan who lives in Guatemala, Honduras, India, or Russia.

Forever Families Foundation
www.foreverfamiliesfoundation.com (website coming soon)

A not-for-profit, 501C3 organization dedicated to bringing orphan awareness and education to the body of Christ in Northwest Arkansas. Director Joetta Schork writes:

“We welcome opportunities to speak to church groups, civic organizations, and anyone wanting to learn how to become involved in Adoption, Foster Care or Orphan Ministry.

Warm Blankets Orphan Care International
www.warmblankets.org/

Craig Muller, co-founder of this non-profit Christian mission, writes:

“With 140 homes on three continents, we are focused on restoring the childhood on the lives of orphans.” The ministry serves as a means to help indigenous villagers care for orphans in their own countries.

They work in partnership with churches, corporations, organizations and individuals who have a passion to help needy, parentless children. They use everything from cellular systems to satellites in coordinating efforts to rescue orphans from extremely remote and often life-threatening situations.

World Orphans
www.worldorphans.org
Abandoned-Orphaned Blog
1-888-ORPHANS

World Orphans is committed to rescuing millions of orphaned and abandoned children, the strengthening of thousands of indigenous churches, and the impacting of hundreds of communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ…through the cost-effective empowerment of church-based orphan prevention, rescue, care and transition programs in the least reached areas of the world.

Paul Myhill, President of World Orphans, writes:

“We have funded over 500 projects in almost 50 countries in the developing world. The majority of these projects have involved the building and running of family-style homes for orphans, built on the property of indigenous churches.”

More orphan care organizations coming in the next post! If you’d like your orphan care organization featured this week, please e-mail me a brief description.

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