Information

Help Save the Adoption Tax Credit! H.R. 213
“To repeal the sunset of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 with respect to the expansion of the adoption credit and adoption assistance programs.” When it was drafted, the legislation allowing the adoption tax credit included a sunset provision.  As a result, the adoption tax credit is set to expire in 2010!  However, this bill, if passed, will make the tax credit permanent.  The adoption tax credit has meant that families who never thought they would be able to adopt, have been able to do so.  Even better, this means that more children who need them have found forever families!  Learn more about how to support this bill. 

S. 1376
“A bill to restore immunization and sibling age exemptions for children adopted by United States citizens under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption to allow their admission to the United States.” U.S. immigration law requires that immigrants to the U.S. receive certain immunizations before entering the country. Under pre-Hague law, an exception was made for children of adoption. However, due to an oversight, no such exemption was included in the Hague legislation. In addition, under pre-Hague law, children who are over 16 but who were part of a sibling group were permitted to be adopted. Unfortunately, the Hague legislation indicated that all children, whether or not they are part of a sibling group, must be adopted before their 16th birthday or would otherwise be unadoptable. This bill, introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar, aims to fix this. Passage of this bill would mean that children of adoption would not be subjected to multiple immunizations at the time of the visa medical exam. To learn more about the bill, go to http://www.thomas.gov/ and search by bill number.

  H.R. 3070 Families for Orphans Act
“To encourage the development and implementation of a comprehensive, global strategy for the preservation and reunification of families and the provision of permanent parental care for orphans, and for other purposes.” One of the challenges in international adoption is that issues of children needing families are frequently not given the attention they’re due. Because the oversight of these issues is lumped in with other government agency functions, the needs of these children are often lost in the shuffle.  This bill works to establish an office in the federal government dedicated solely to the needs of children, including the need to stay in their birth families whenever possible.

H.R. 3110/S. 1359 Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act
“To provide United States citizenship for children adopted from outside the United States, and for other purposes” The so-called FACE act is designed to give adopted children the same citizenship rights as children born abroad to American citizens. This would mean that adoptive families would have to apply for a passport and Consular Report of Birth rather than a visa.

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 3 months after the 1-3 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 4, are siblings (where at least one of the children is over the age of 4) 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 5 years of age, sibling groups and younger children with special needs.

Congratulations to Gary & Suzanne, Jonathan & Amy, and Jason & Michelle. Their dossiers were sent to China in late May!  Also, congratulations to Jose & Kristi and Eric & Robin. Their dossiers were sent to China in July!

China Birth Culture Awareness Event a Success!

The annual China Birth Culture Awareness Event was held on June 28, 2009, on the grounds of Pearl S. Buck International. Families enjoyed the beautiful day and spread their blankets out for a picnic on the lawn, with a Chinese dessert buffet.  The Chinese Cultural Association of Greater Philadelphia and Mainline Schools provided amazing musical, dance and yo-yo performances inside the Cultural Center. Families learned about the Pipa and Guzheng, traditional Chinese instruments, and enjoyed delightful musical performances.  The Chinese yo-yo demonstration was truly amazing, and brought cheers from the crowd as the yo-yo seemed to dance across the stage.  The Chinese folk dancers were mesmerizing, as they moved with fluidity, grace and beauty. After these performances, the families had the opportunity to learn the Chinese song Liang Zhi Laohu, led by volunteer Alex Jones. Alex also taught the children Chinese calligraphy, and they practiced their strokes with bamboo brushes on rice paper. Later in the afternoon, families returned to the gorgeous weather outdoors for a very energetic food carving demonstration by world-famous Chef Joseph Poon. The children crowded around Chef Poon as he showed off his talent by carving tomatoes into roses, cucumbers into hearts, and a watermelon into a dragon. It was a great opportunity for families to reconnect with old friends, and to meet new friends, while learning more about Chinese culture. Picnic Lunch on the Grounds Food Carving with Chef Poon Arts and Crafts with Dad

What does this mean for you? First, in addition to monitoring the expiration of your CIS approval, Welcome House will be monitoring the match between your approval and the child to whom you are referred.  If an addendum needs to be completed, Welcome House will either complete it or ask you to work with your home study agency to do so.  Second, in your addendum you may be approved for a wider age range or range of health issues than initially requested.  For example, if you initially requested a child 0 to 12 months old, your addendum may approve you for a child who is 0 to 18 months or 0 to 24 months.  This is to ensure that your approval will cover the child you are referred, even if they are slightly older or younger than initially requested. 

If you have any questions about these new procedures or the status of your approval, please contact Heather Carter-Tryon at hcartertryon@pearlsbuck.org  or 215-249-0100 ext. 136.

Visit from Chinese Students Postponed
In light of the recent outbreak of 2009-H1N1 (aka the “swine flu”), the Chinese officials responsible for the students participating in the student visit have decided to postpone the trip until early 2010.  Stay tuned to this newsletter for news of their rescheduled trip. 

Update on the Status of the Waiting Child Program
As was mentioned in the March newsletter, we are relaunching the waiting child program in stages.  At present, we have one “Stage 1” family who is still awaiting a referral.  We are in the process of hiring a Matching Coordinator who will coordinate the matching of all future families.  Due to the time necessary in recruiting and training this person, it may be several months before he or she is fully on board.  We currently have 8 families who have submitted China Waiting Child Conditions forms and are able to consider children on the shared list.  If you have questions about the waiting child program or would like to receive a Waiting Child Conditions form, please contact Heather Carter-Tryon at hcartertryon@pearlsbuck.org or 215-249-0100 ext. 136.

Current Status of Referrals and Dossier Reviews
As of today (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.

Congratulations to our first family who is now back in Kazakhstan for their second trip and the court hearing. They will be back in the U.S. very soon. 

We are very happy to report that the two dossiers to the DC 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 in Kazakhstan for their court date, two families’ dossiers are in Pavlodar and Aktobe Regions, and one family’s dossier is prepping for consulate submission shortly. 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.

The South Korean Government has been carefully implementing long-term plans to eventually close international adoption for over 20 years. Starting in 1987, the Korean government established strict quotas limiting the number of children who could be placed internationally, and they have carefully reduced this quota by 3% to 5% each year with the intention of eventually placing zero international adoptions. In 1987 over 8,000 Korean children were placed with adoptive families overseas. By 1997, only 2,057 Korean children were adopted by families overseas. And in 2007, only 939 Korean children were placed for international adoption. At the same time that the Korean government has been gradually reducing the number of foreign adoptions, they have been working hard to increase the acceptance and number of non-relative adoptions domestically. Attitudes are gradually starting to change toward adoption within the country.

The City of Gangnam, South Korea

If you are a Korean adoptee or an adoptive family who has chosen to adopt from Korea, there is a long and rich history of which you are a part, and there are other families out there who have experienced some of the joys and challenges that you and your family may have faced.  There are all kinds of organizations and people out there that can offer support for your family.  Welcome House has long been committed to families celebrating and incorporating their adopted child’s heritage into their home life, and we want to remind you of several terrific upcoming cultural events with other Korean Adoptive families in our region which you can view by jumping to our events section.

Korea Birth Culture Event
Sunday, July 26 from 12 to 3 p.m
Our annual Korea Birth Culture Event (previously known as the Korea Family Picnic) will be held on the grounds of PSBI from 12 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 26th.  Learn more here!

Congratulations to Jason & Shelley. 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. 

Unfortunately, this means that there has been no movement in the past few weeks regarding referrals.  The Minister’s signature is required as final approval of the matches, thereby allowing families that have already received referrals to travel to meet their children. The release of referrals has also been held until a new Minister is in place. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will post updates in future editions of the Welcome News.

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!

Vietnam-Nepal Birth Culture Event Fun for All!
Click here to jump to Vietnam for the full article.

Upcoming changes to eligibility criteria for adoptive families
In March we received notice from ICAB that they were reevaluating their eligibility criteria for adoptive families and expected to make an announcement regarding any changes in June.  As of this writing (July 16, 2009) we have not yet received notification of the changes.  When they are received, we will share them in this newsletter.

Philippines Birth Culture Event
Sunday, August 9th from 12 to 3 p.m
Our annual Philippines Birth Culture Event (previously known as the Philippines Family Picnic) will be held on the grounds of PSBI from 12 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 9th.  Jump to the events section!

10th Global Consultation on Child Welfare Services
ICAB will be sponsoring their 10th Global Consultation on Child Welfare Services from August 18 to 21, 2009.  This biannual gathering of people interested in the welfare of children will be held in the Philippines.  Professionals, families, and adoptees are all welcome to attend!  You can check ICAB’s website (http://www.icab.gov.ph/) for more information as it becomes available.

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.

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 were thrilled to learn in May that four of our waiting children in the Philippines and one waiting child from Korea have received $5,000 grants from Brittany’s Hope!  As part of this grant, Welcome House will be waiving the post-placement fees for the adoption of these children.  The children are:

Children from the Philippines:
“Jenny” was born January, 2006.  This mischievous little girl is very active and loves to run. When upset, she will have a temper tantrum. A developmental evaluation done at age 25 months indicated that her gross motor skills were at the 20-month level, her personal and social skills were at the 17-month level, and her language skills were at a 9-month level. She was diagnosed with Global Developmental Delays and Microcephaly. There is some difficult birth family information that can be shared with interested families.

“Seth” was born August, 1998.  This handsome young man is described as being generous, helpful, sensitive, quiet, and eager to learn. He experienced some very difficult things early in his life and would benefit from a family that could provide him a feeling of stability and safety. He is "naturally benevolent" and struggles with low self-esteem and anxiety. His behaviors are normal for a child his age. His adoptive family will need to help him work through his complicated feelings that resulted from his early experiences.

“Vanessa” was born December, 2003.  This sweetie had a tough start in life. She was admitted to the orphanage at age 3 years, 8 months but was so malnourished that she was closer to the size of a 5-month old. Since coming to the orphanage she has been showing good growth; just a year after admission to the orphanage she was now the size of 2 year, 9 month old. She is a playful, active, and cheerful child who is still delayed in some areas of development. At almost 5 years of age she is just beginning to talk and cannot yet feed herself. However, she can stand and walk.

“Andrew” was born December, 2002.  This cutie has big beautiful eyes and an engaging smile. He is a cheerful boy who smiles and giggles when his name is called. He loves to be the topic of conversation and, although he is nonverbal, he interacts through facial expressions and some sounds.  He has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and receives physical and occupational therapy regularly. An evaluation done when he was 5 years old indicated that his developmental skill levels ranged between 3 months and 12 months of age.

“Sam” from Korea.  Please see the “Waiting Children in Korea” section below for more information and a photo of him. 

Waiting Children in Korea
We have received two referrals for waiting children from Korea so far in 2009, a little boy in February and a little girl in April.  Both children are doing very well and both have been successfully matched with nice families. We also have two of the seven waiting children who were referred to us in 2008, who have not been officially matched yet. All other waiting children referred to us in 2008 have been matched with wonderful Welcome House families and have already been placed. I am very pleased to report, that we have received a $5,000 Brittany’s Hope Grant for both “Sam” and “Jason.” We currently have a family considering the referral information on both Sam and Jason, and both are committed to making a determination as quickly as possible, within two weeks' time.  Both families have asked that we continue to seek an appropriate adoptive resource while they review the records to ensure that there are no delays in matching, if they determine they are not the best resource for the child they are considering. Both boys are absolutely darling, very sweet and clearly well cared for, but they both have more complex profiles, so families have to carefully weigh their family circumstances and their ability to successfully parent a child with the described profile. Please call Amy Durie at (215) 249-0100  ext. 119 if you would like to be the next family to consider either child’s information. 

Meet Waiting Child Sam

Meet Waiting Child Jason

“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; 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.

“Jason” is a beautiful little boy of Korean heritage, who is currently 15 months old. He was born prematurely at 30 weeks gestation weighing 1.02 kilograms. He had several hospitalizations in the first 5 months of life due to complications related to his prematurity. He has done very well since that time and his current assessment of developmental age is 12 months. He is considered adoptable with facial nerve palsy on the left side. He had elevated liver and cardiac enzymes for sometime. He was diagnosed with Cytomegalovirus which might be what caused the baby’s elevated liver enzymes. There is comprehensive medical information available on this little boy. 

Waiting Children in China
As was mentioned in the March edition of Welcome News, we are relaunching the waiting child program in stages.  At present, we have one “Stage 1” family who is still awaiting a referral.  We are in the process of hiring a Matching Coordinator who will coordinate the matching of all future families.  Due to the time necessary in recruiting and training this person, it may be several months before he or she is fully on board.  We currently have 8 families who have submitted China Waiting Child Conditions forms and are able to consider children on the shared list.  If you have questions about the waiting child program or would like to receive a Waiting Child Conditions form, please contact Heather Carter-Tryon at hcartertryon@pearlsbuck.org or 215-249-0100 ext. 136.

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.

Welcome House recently came across a new book that may be of use to adoptive families, whether or not they currently have children at home.  It’s called “Brothers and Sisters in Adoption: Helping Children Navigate Relationships when New Kids Join the Family” by Arleta James.  We are impressed with the information included and presentation of the book.  Although there is a focus on bringing children into families where there are already children (a focus largely ignored by other adoption books!), the information and perspective presented can be helpful to all families.  Its focus of helping the family dynamics when adding a child with a history of abuse, neglect, or trauma, applies to all families. The author, Arleta James, has worked in adoption for many years, including some time in the SWAN network.  At present, she is a therapist at the Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio.  She’ll be presenting a webinar about the topics discussed in her book in November, 2009.  To learn more, go to http://www.jcics.org/Webinar_Schedule.htm.]

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. 

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. Science Explorers Summer Science Camps held at Pearl S. Buck International August 10-14: Potions, Powders, and Polymers All camps are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visit www.scienceexplorers.com for fees and registration. 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. Korea Families Birth Culture Awareness Event Mark your calendars!  Sunday, July 26th, from 12 to 3 p.m., will be the Korea Birth Culture Awareness Event, held on the grounds of Pearl S. Buck International.  Registration is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 10. This event will celebrate adoption and Korean culture. The Princeton Korean Traditional Folk Dance Group will delight us with various dances and display traditional Korean costumes.  Members of the Korean Students Association at the University of Pennsylvania will also be present to assist the children with Korean games and crafts. This annual event is a fun time for adoptive and pre-adoptive families to gather together, reunite with old friends, and make new connections.  Please bring a picnic lunch, and we will provide beverages and dessert.  Bring your lawn chairs or blankets, because we will be outside as long as the weather is nice.  (We will be inside the Cultural Center if it’s rainy.)  We are hoping that some families will volunteer to help out at this event. We could use your assistance in planning, decorating, setup, cleanup, etc. Please email LDillard@pearl-s-buck.org or call 215-870-1784 if you are able to volunteer in any capacity.  This event is open to everyone: waiting families, families whose children are home, grandparents and other extended family members, those who are considering adoption, and folks who are just looking for something fun to do on a Sunday afternoon.  So, please spread the word, and we look forward to seeing you there! Online registration is preferred for planning purposes, but if you are unable to register online you are still welcome to pay at the door.  Register for this event online at www.psbi.org/birthcultureevents. KAAN Conference Hershey, PA July 23-25, 2010 KAAN (Korean-American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network) is a small nonprofit which began in 1999. It coordinates an annual national conference to bring together adult adoptees, adoptive family members, Korean-Americans and others involved with Korean adoption. 2010 is the first year that the KAAN conference will be held in Pennsylvania. You can read more about KAAN at http://www.kaanet.com/ or the agenda for this year's conference in Colorado at http://www.kaanconference.com/ 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.