Information

Eligibility for adoptive parents for Mexico are: married or single, 25 years of age, good moral character and demonstrate means to care for the physical and educational needs of the child.  Stay in-country is three months after the one- to three-week bonding period (the judge can waive the lengthy stay depending on the bonding process that has occurred).  In addition, DIF is working with the judicial system in country to make this time shorter. 

Children available for adoption through DIF orphanages are over the age of four, are siblings (where at least one of the children is over the age of four) or have special needs.  There are private orphanages throughout Mexico, in addition to the government run orphanages, and we are not sure if children from the private locations would come through the central authority or if they would be registered with the central authority and then adopted through private attorneys. 

Children available for adoption are over five years of age, sibling groups and younger children with special needs.

Congratulations are in order for Bryan & Chris, Tom & Robin, Jerome & Carol, and Dan & Elizabeth - they have traveled or will be traveling to China in August to meet their children!

Since the implementation of these new requirements on July 1, the majority of children tested have had a positive skin test and a negative chest x-ray, therefore not delaying their return home.  However, at least one of the first families to experience a positive chest x-ray and the subsequent testing requirements is now in China.  They are not able to stay in China during the child’s testing and treatment and, as such, are having to make other plans for her care until she can receive a visa.  (Please note, this is not a Welcome House family.)  I encourage you to read and sign the JCICS petition regarding the new TB testing protocols.  If so inclined, I also encourage you to contact your Senators and Representatives regarding this issue.  As soon as the JCICS Summary Report is available, we will forward it to you.  While we understand the need to be cautious about multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, we also believe that there has to be a better way to implement this testing so that children are not delayed from coming home to their forever families and that a handful of families are not put in the difficult position of having to chose between staying in China for an extended period of time or returning home without their child and traveling back later.

Welcome House now wiring fees to China in advance of travel
In response to the increase in the orphanage donation (from $3,000 USD to 35,000 RMB) on January 1, 2009, we have now set up a system in which you can wire your orphanage donation, visa fee, and a portion of your in-country package price to China in advance of your travel.  Later this month families waiting to receive their child will receive a letter regarding this change.  However, here is a quick summary of what this change will look like… at the time of referral families currently pay the Welcome House Overseas Fee ($5,300) and the Post-Placement Fee ($1,200) or the Post-Placement Review Fee ($600).  In addition to this, we will be asking that families give Welcome House the following fees:

Orphanage donation (as mandated by CCAA) 35,000 RMB or approximately $5,200
Your child’s visa fee - $400
Wire transfer fee - $60 ($30 to send it from the US and $30 to receive it in China)
Partial in-country travel package - $1,500 per person traveling (The in-country travel package covers your hotels, air and ground transportation within China, sightseeing, tour guides, and breakfasts.  The final amount of the package depends on when you are traveling, the size of your travel group, where you are going, and how many people are traveling with you.  Any balance above the $1,500 per person will be paid in traveler’s checks or cash to the tour guide in China.)

It is very important to note that these are not new fees!  These are fees that families previously paid in cash in China but that will now be paid to Welcome House and wired to China in advance of your travel.  This is designed to reduce the amount of cash & traveler’s checks that you have to carry when you go to China.  For a full and recently updated summary of the fees and costs in the adoption process you can go to:

·         http://www.psbi.org/site/DocServer/China_In_Area__Fee_Schedule.pdf?docID=462 For families within our home study service area

·         http://www.psbi.org/site/DocServer/China_Out_of_Area_Fee_Schedule.pdf?docID=481 For families outside our home study service area

Current Status of Referrals and Dossier Reviews
As of July 9, 2009, dossiers that were registered on or before August 31, 2007 have been reviewed and families with dossiers registered on or before March 20, 2006 have been matched with children.

The Kazakhstan program's first family should be returning home from Kazakhstan soon with their daughter.  Everything went well during their stay in-country.

Welcome House is very happy to report that the two dossiers submitted to the D.C. Consulate last month are now in the regions of Pavlodar and Aktobe.  The next step will be the travel invitations that should arrive within a month or two. 
 
Currently we have 12 families in the Kazakhstan program.  One family is finalizing a visa and passport for their daughter, two families’ dossiers are in Pavlodar and Aktobe Regions, and one family’s dossier was submitted to the D.C. consulate. Eight families are at various stages of the application/dossier preparation process.

Welcome House Yahoo Group for Kazakhstan
Did you know that you can join a group where you can share information about Kazakhstan adoption and connect with other families adopting from Kazakhstan through Welcome House? All Kazakhstan program families, past and present, are invited to join the Kazakhstan Program Yahoo Group. It is a great place to connect with other families, get up-to-date information from the country coordinator about the Kazakhstan program, get or share support as you go through the adoption process, and much more. To join, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WHKazakhstan/ and click on “Join This Group”. Be sure to include your name so that we can easily approve your application.

Korea Birth Culture Awareness Event
The annual Korea Birth Culture Awareness Event was held on July 26, 2009, at Pearl S. Buck International.  Due to rainy weather outside, families enjoyed an “indoor picnic” in the Cultural Center.  The Princeton Korean Dance Troupe performed a variety of dances in beautiful costumes, including a fan dance, drum dance, and court dance.  The performance was both entertaining and educational, as Ms. Kiran Paek, founder and director of the troupe, provided historical background information about each dance.  Later in the afternoon, children had the opportunity to make their own traditional Korean masks.  Students from the University of Pennsylvania Korean Student Association (KSA) volunteered at the event, and led the children’s craft. The KSA students also taught the children a Korean game, Gongi, which is similar to American jacks. This event was a great opportunity for families to reconnect with old friends, and to meet new friends, while learning more about Korean culture.

Congratulations to Chet and Anjali - their dossier was sent to Nepal in July!

In the May edition of Welcome News, we talked about the changes in the government leadership in Nepal, specifically the resignation of the Prime Minister.  Since that time the political parties have been working to re-form the coalition government.  The Minister for the Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Welfare was removed as part of the changes.  At this time, we are waiting for a new Minister to be appointed.  During this time, there has been very slow movement in the adoption process.  The Ministry has been accepting dossiers but not issuing new referrals or invitations to travel.

However, in early August we received word that the Ministry has begun sending notifications to orphanages that specific children in their care have been matched with families.  We believe that they have sent 25 notification letters thus far and may be sending more in the near future.  We also believe that these letters are in reference to the children who were referred three months ago and that they indicate these families will be traveling soon.  Hopefully this means that these families will be traveling soon.  Although the Ministry is still awaiting the appointment of a Prime Minister, it is good to see that there is some movement occurring.

Yahoo Groups for Adoptive Families
There are two Yahoo groups that have allowed families adopting from Nepal to connect with each other over the tumultuous months of the adoption program reopening.  One of them, NepalAdopt, was founded in January of this year.  You can find it here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nepaladopt/.

The other one, nchild, was founded in 1999. You can find it here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nchild/.  Because adopting through a new adoption program can be even more of a roller coaster than adoption usually is, Yahoo groups are a nice way to connect with other families having the same experience that you are!

Congratulations to Tina - her dossier was sent to the Philippines in August!

Philippines Birth Culture Awareness Event
The Philippines event took place on Sunday, August 9. Welcome House had a fun day planned for all, including traditional Filipino games of Tumbang Preso, Sungka, and Siksik Bulak, and arts-and-crafts activities. Everyone enjoyed a traditional dessert called halo-halo, while the President of the Filipino Executive Council of Greater Philadelphia, Inc, Rommel Rivera, M.D., spoke about the Filipino-American community of the Delaware Valley, and answered questions about Filipino culture.

The Ukraine program is open and accepting applications for families looking to adopt children over the age of six. Please call or email Leonette Boiarski at 215-249-0100 ext. 137 lboiarski@pearlsbuck.org for further details.

The Vietnam & Nepal Families Birth Culture Awareness Event
On Sunday, July 12th, the Vietnam & Nepal Families Birth Culture Awareness Event took place.  Performances included a traditional Dragon dance and a Ribbon dance.

NJVACA led an exciting “Question and Answer” time about Vietnam, and The President of Friends of Nepal - New Jersey, Tulsi Maharjan, Ph. D., provided a presentation about the culture of Nepal, with time for questions and answers.  This was a wonderful opportunity for all of the waiting families to learn more about Nepal prior to traveling, and to meet one another.

Families enjoyed musical and dance performances from the New Jersey Vietnamese American Community Association (NJVACA), left, and the Mam Non VNA Youths, right.

Several times a year we receive information about specific waiting children from Korea, China, and the Philippines.  We allow one family at a time to review a child’s information.  If it is noted that a child’s file is under review, you are still welcome to contact us and we will share the child’s information with you if or when the information becomes available.

We are able to place children with special needs and older children from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Nepal as well.  However, the process is different for children in these countries.  Families hoping to adopt a waiting child from one of these countries would submit their dossier and will then be matched with a child.  If you would like more information about the Kazakhstan or Ukraine programs contact Leonette Boiarski at lboiarski@pearlsbuck.org or 215-249-0100 ext. 137.  For information about our Nepal program contact Heather Carter-Tryon at hcartertryon@pearlsbuck.org or 215-249-0100 ext. 136.

If you want to learn about new waiting child referrals when we receive them, join our Waiting Children yahoo group.  Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/welcomehousewaitingchildren/ and click Join This Group.

Five Waiting children receive grants from Brittany’s Hope!
Brittany’s Hope Foundation is an organization whose mission is helping children with special needs find their forever families.  We currently have 5 children that have $5,000 grants from Brittany’s Hope. To learn more about these children please visit the July edition of the Welcome News.

Meet Waiting Child Sam

Waiting Children in Korea
Good news one of the children featured in previous newsletters, “Jason,” has been tentatively matched with a family. “Sam” is still waiting for his family, although his file is currently under review. Please call Amy Durie at (215) 249-0100 ext.119, if you would like to the next family to consider either child’s information. In addition, we received a referral of a waiting child in early August.  We are exploring matching her with one of the families currently in the Korea program before sharing her information in this newsletter. 

“Sam” is a darling one year old child from Korea who was born in March, 2008 at 41 weeks gestation. His assessment of developmental age on April 7th, 2009 was determined to be the same as a 10 or 11 month old child.    During his birth he aspirated meconium; and he had a seizure shortly thereafter. His apgar scores immediately following birth were good, but he has been diagnosed with a seizure disorder. A neurologist examined him in late July and had some concerns about slow head growth, intermittent eye deviation, and possible reduced hearing on the left side. The most recent neurologist report indicated that his complex partial seizures are currently well under control. However, Korea notified us in early May that his condition had worsened and he had another seizure.  However, his head circumference is still below normal for a child of his age. He is currently receiving physical therapy for tip toeing and his right leg dragging. He also has a grad 3/6 systolic heart murmur. Sam is considered an adoptable little boy who is diagnosed with left brain diffuse atrophy and VSD. Sam is described as cute, alert, and responsive.  He does not always appear to understand the foster mother’s commands and a hearing test has been ordered.  Sam is receiving loving care from a dedicated foster family. There are substantial medical reports available for interested families to review.

Waiting Children in China
In early August we were delighted to receive 8 designated referrals from the China Center of Adoption Affairs.  These are children for whom CCAA has asked Welcome House to find families.  Two of the children have been matched and the file of a third is under review.  We are currently exploring matching these children with families currently in our China program.  If we’re unable to do so, we will share more information about them in the next newsletter.

In other good news, we are happy to announce that Becki Buck has been hired as our China Waiting Child Matching Coordinator.  Becki is currently an Adoption Coordinator for Welcome House and will be expanding her work to include matching waiting children with their families.  She will be trained in the online system in September and, once completed, will be available to assist families and children.  Becki has many years of experience working with children in the U.S. foster care system and supporting them in their adoptive families.  You can contact Becki at bbuck@pearlsbuck.org.


Waiting Children in the Philippines
Please see previous editions of Welcome News to learn about children in the Philippines waiting for families.  If you have any questions please contact Heather Carter-Tryon at hcartertryon@pearlsbuck.org or 215-249-0100 ext. 136.

Since federal, state and local agencies have become stricter with identification requirements, now more than ever is a good time to take inventory of your child’s documents.  Being proactive now could very well save you and/or your child from very worrisome and time-consuming problems in the future.  These documents/issues include: the only two documents for proof of U.S. citizenship; Social Security records indicating your child as a non-citizen vs. citizen; child’s birth certificate and adoption decree foreign vs. state-issued; and for adult adoptees proof of naturalization and lack of state-issued birth certificates.  Stay tuned for the full article in next month’s issue of Welcome News!

Events at Pearl S. Buck International

The Art & Sculpture of Green Hills Farm Enjoy learning about Pearl S. Buck's personal collection of artwork during this brand-new exhibit of the National Historic Landmark Home. In conjunction with this exhibit, for the first time since its recovery, the famed The Good Earth Manuscript will also be on display through August 2009! Don't miss this chance to see the manuscript, which was missing for forty years and was finally recovered in the summer of 2008. Exhibit runs March 3 through November 15, 2009 The Good Earth Manuscript on display through August 2009 Admission: $7 per adult/$6 seniors Tour Times: Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Sundays 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. 54th Annual International Day Festival September 13, 2009 Noon to 5 p.m. Join the community in celebrating Pearl S. Buck's humanitarian and cross-cultural legacy with a day full of international entertainment, cultural foods, games, arts and crafts, and children's rides. Click for more information or to reserve tickets! Please check out the PSBI Community Events Page for other upcoming activities! Events of Interest to Adoptive Families Lehigh Valley Adoptive Family Play Group Welcome House families who have adopted from Korea get together for a monthly play group at one another’s homes. If you live in Lehigh, Northampton or Northern Bucks County and are interested in joining this group let Amy Durie know at adurie@pearlsbuck.org, and she can put you in touch with the organizing families. Philadelphia 2009 Moon Festival Celebration Sunday, September 6, 2009 7:00 p.m. at the Haverford Centennial Hall Performing Arts Center Tickets $15, $25, or $50 (Regular, Premium, or VIP) Featuring gala performances from the Philadelphia Chinese Performing Arts Troupe and internationally-renowned artists such as Jiayi Sun, Cong Fan, Weizhong Lu, Lucy Lu, the Jasmine Dancing Troupe and King's Dance and Arts Studio. Ticket Locations: Chinatown Joy Tsin Lou: 12th & Race, 215-518-8200 Yuming Wang Law Office: 215-829-0817 Shanghai Bazzar: 1016-18 Race St., 215-627-4507 South Philadelphia Century Travel, 904 S. 8th Street Suburb Kung's Market, 81 Lancaster Ave., Malvern, 610-889-3388 Greatwall Chinese School, 267-738-8480 21 Century Realty, 301 E. Baltimore Pike, Media, 267-210-2588 Korean Cultural Awareness Day Saturday, October 3rd 12:00 - 5:00 p.m. Houston Hall at University of Pennsylvania (3417 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104). In conjunction to celebrating ChooSuk (Korean Thanksgiving), families will have the opportunity to learn various aspects of Korean culture through arts & crafts, games, food, and entertainment.  Check out our website for more information or contact Diana Chang if you have any questions.  We hope to see you in the Fall! 17th Annual Permanency Conference The Statewide Adoption Network will be hosting their 17th annual conference for foster and adoptive families, as well as adoption and independent living professionals.  The conference always has a wide variety of workshops for a wide variety of people - those new to adoption, experienced parents, and professionals.  Keep an eye on SWAN’s website (http://www.diakon-swan.org/) for more information as it becomes available. Welcome House Counseling Program Post-Adoption Counseling Services From its very beginning, Welcome House has emphasized the importance of supporting adoptive families, even after their adoption is finalized.  The adoption process is not always “smooth sailing”, but more serious issues may arise after the child comes home, whether for the parents, the adoptee, or siblings. Adoption-related counseling can include issues of grief and loss related to birth family, identity formation issues, difficulty trusting others or feeling connected to others, or fears of losing other people in one’s life.  When issues related to one’s adoption are not addressed, there can be difficulty in relationships with others, misplaced anger, and lack of self awareness.  Not all struggles in life for the adoption triad are related to adoption, but it is important to explore this part of one’s experience to help reach healthy resolution. Counseling services are available for anyone whose life has been touched by adoption, regardless of the agency that you worked with for your adoption. Counseling sessions are facilitated by: Lauren Cogan, MSW, LSW.  Ms. Cogan is an experienced therapist in family based mental health services, individual, family and group counseling and also has experience with child welfare services and Autism. Lauren was recently certified in completing functional behavioral assessments.  Ms. Cogan’s coverage area is the upper and middle sections of Montgomery County and all of Bucks County.   Janice Toole, MSW, LSW.  Ms. Toole has been working with adoptive families for 15 years providing case management, counseling and home studies to families interested in adopting.  She is aware of the cultural diversity that will come into play when adopting a child from another country and also the attachment and loss issues that will be involved in any adoption. Ms. Toole has also worked with adoptees under Virginia law helping them with their search for their birth families.  Ms. Toole’s coverage area to provide counseling is within a 30 mile radius of Richmond, Virginia. The counseling fee is $90 for a 50 minute session.  Evening and weekend appointments are available. Please call 215-249-0100 to make an appointment or for further information.