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Program Updates
China
By Heather Carter, Program Coordinator
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Waiting Children Group #4 has arrived!
On July 27th we received our fourth group of waiting children from CCAA! Their quick arrival confirmed what we have been seeing over the past few groups that CCAA will send us our next group of waiting kids approximately one month after the paperwork for the last child in the preceding group is submitted. This group includes 5 children that range in age from 6 months to 3 years old. There are 3 boys and 2 girls. 3 of the 5 children have been matched but we are still looking for families for 2 of the children. Check out the “Waiting Children” section of this newsletter for more information.
If you have not submitted a China Waiting Child Condition Form but would like to be considered for matching with one of the waiting children, please email me at hcarter@pearlsbuck.org. I will send you the form to complete and return. Once we have the completed form, we’ll add you to the list of families that are interested in adopting waiting children. | **NEW** Yahoo group for Welcome House’s Waiting Children
Come join us at our new Yahoo group for families considering adopting waiting children, Welcome House Waiting Children. You can learn more at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/welcomehousewaitingchildren/. Just click “Join This Group” and you’ll have access to information and photographs of our current waiting children. We will include information about waiting children in all the countries where we currently work. You’ll also be able to connect to families that have adopted waiting children through Welcome House. See you there!
Update on Time Frames for Referrals
In early September, CCAA released referrals for families whose dossiers were registered between November 22 and November 25, 2005. These families waited 20 months for their referrals. CCAA typically receives a significantly larger number of dossiers in November each year. We anticipate that this is part of the reason that so few days were included in this group of referrals. Welcome House’s next dossier group to receive referrals had their dossiers registered on December 6, 2005. We are hoping that they will receive referrals within 2 to 3 months.
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When referrals were released |
Dossier registration dates of families that received referrals |
Total time covered by the group of referrals |
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September, 2007 |
11/22/05 through 11/25/05 |
4 days |
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August, 2007 |
11/15/05 through 11/21/05 |
7 days |
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July, 2007 |
11/8/05 through 11/14/05 |
7 days |
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Early June, 2007 |
11/2/05 through 11/7/05 |
6 days |
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Late April, 2007 |
10/27/05 through 11/1/05 |
6 days |
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Early April, 2007 |
10/25/05 through 10/26/06 |
2 days |
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Early March, 2007 |
10/14/05 through 10/24/05 |
1 week & 3 days |
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January, 2007 |
9/28 through 10/13/05 |
2 weeks & 1 day |
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December, 2006 |
9/9 through 9/27/05 |
2 weeks & 4 days |
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November, 2006 |
8/26 through 9/8/05 |
1 week & 6 days |
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October, 2006 |
8/10 through 8/25/05 |
2 weeks & 1 day | |
Harvest Moon Festival
Are you waiting for a referral and seeking ways to learn more about China? Has your child come home and you’re looking for ways to help your child learn more about his birth country? Celebrating holidays together is one way to do just that! On September 25th you can celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, also called the Harvest Moon Festival. Check with your local Families with Children from China chapter to see if they will be hosting any events related to the holiday. Other great resources are local Chinese-American groups and Chinese community centers. Fall is also a time when many dragon boat races occur. Check your local newspaper for any races that may be happening in your area!
China Program Yahoo group
Did you know that the Welcome House China Program has its own Yahoo group? It’s a great place to meet other Welcome House® families, to receive China Program updates between newsletters, to share information, and to get support. If you’d like to join, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/welcomehousechina/ and click on “Join This Group.” Yahoo will guide you through the process. Don’t forget to put your name in your application to join!
Dossier Status Update
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Dossiers sent on: |
Dossiers registered at CCAA on: |
Referrals received on: |
Average age at referral: |
Average age at arrival in the U.S.: |
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9/6/05 |
10/8/05 |
2/1/07
(15 months, 24 days) |
11.74 months (7.88 months for families requesting babies)
Oldest 2 years, 10 months, 27 days
Youngest 6 months, 18 days |
13.65 months (9.77 months for families requesting babies)
Oldest 3 years, 28 days
Youngest 8 months, 20 days |
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10/14/05 |
10/27/05 |
5/1/07
(18 months, 4 days) |
12.28 months (8.66 months for families requesting babies)
Oldest 2 years, 6 months, 11 days
Youngest 7 months, 29 days |
14.2 months (10.6 months for families requesting babies)
Oldest 2 years, 8 months, 10 days
Youngest 9 months, 27 days |
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11/16/05 |
12/6/05 |
Not received to date |
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1/17/06 |
2/16/06 |
Not received to date |
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4/10/06 |
4/19/06 |
Not received to date |
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5/12/06 |
5/19/06 |
Not received to date |
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7/7/06 |
7/24/06 |
Not received to date |
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7/17/06 |
7/25/06 |
Not received to date |
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9/1/06 |
10/11/06 |
Not received to date |
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10/2/06 |
11/6/06 |
Not received to date |
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11/17/06 |
12/26/06 |
Not received to date |
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1/12/07 |
2/9/07 |
Not received to date |
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3/21/07 |
4/13/07 |
Not received to date |
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4/5/07 |
4/20/07 |
Not received to date |
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7/12/07 |
7/19/07 |
Not received to date |
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Kazakhstan
By Leonette Boiarski, Director, Welcome House® and Opportunity House
| We now have 3 families in our Kazakhstan adoption program. In addition, we have heard very good things about the care and development of the children that are currently coming home. This is a very quick program with the entire process taking less than a year.
Kazakhstan has an excellent reputation of caring for their children who live in their orphanage system. Many US doctors have commented on the good care of the children upon their arrival home, and one is even quoted as saying, "We aren't sure what Kazakhstan does right, or what other countries do wrong." They are amazed at how well the children look upon arriving home after being adopted, saying these children do not look like typical children who have lived in an orphanage setting.
At right, an image of Oleg Semykin, our Adoption Coordinator in Kazakhstan,
as well as Leonette Boiarski, Director of Welcome House® and Opportunity House. |
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Kazakhstan Program Yahoo Group
Did you know that you could 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 can be 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 more easily approve your application. |
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Korea
By Nancy Marshall, Program Coordinator
Referrals and Waiting List
In August, we received 3 referrals. One little boy was referred to a family whose home study went to Korea last September. It was a long wait, but hopefully he will be coming home to his new family in the next few months. The other 2 referrals are for waiting children. That brings our total referrals for 2007 to 15, with 9 referred to specific families and 6 for waiting children.
On September 4th, application packets were mailed to the first 4 families on the waiting list. There are currently 22 families on the waiting list. Because of the long wait at this time, we do not recommend that anyone 43 years old or older apply for an adoption from Korea.
Program Status
There were no placements in August, but two families have received visa approval and are waiting for placement, and 6 families have accepted referrals (3 were waiting children) and are waiting for visa approval. There are currently 27 home studies in Korea waiting for referrals.
Waiting Children
One family is reviewing the referral information for one of our waiting children, and I have requested more information on another. When we receive referrals for waiting children, we review the Child Conditions form which families complete during their application process seeking a family that is open to that child’s needs. It is very important that careful consideration is given to this part of your application. If you are interested in learning more about our waiting children, please contact Nancy Marshall at 215-249-0100 extension 118 or e-mail at nmarshall@pearlsbuck.org.You can also see a little more information about the children in the Waiting Children section of this newsletter.
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Special Notice Concerning Pictures and Videos
A message was received from Holt Children's Services in Korea expressing some concerns about pictures and videos taken by parents of their adopted Korean children, particularly during the experience of meeting their child in Korea. Some of these pictures and videos include photos of the foster families and Holt staff. Holt has allowed documentation of this meeting, but it was their understanding that it was just for the family's private record of their adoption experience. | It came to their attention that a family had posted their adoption journey to Korea on YouTube and that other families are posting photos or videos in other public places on the internet. YouTube is a well-known portal site that is easily accessed all over the world. In addition, many families in Korea have computers in their homes. We strongly encourage families to carefully consider how you share your child’s information on the internet. We know that you are excited about your referral and your adoption experience. However, keep in mind that, unless it is password protected, things posted on the internet are part of a public forum. This means that anyone can access your child’s information, including your child’s birth family.
Please protect the privacy of your child and those at Holt Children's Services, who have provided care for your child, by refraining from posting pictures and information on websites that can be accessed by everyone.
“Domestic Adoptions Reach 60 Percent”
On August 30, 2007 Korea Times Staff Reporter Kim Tae-jong stated in the above titled article that “About 60 percent of all adoptions were made domestically in the first half of this year, making it the first time for them to surpass overseas adoptions”. It seems that the new adoption law designed to prioritize domestic adoption is working. Of the 1223 children adopted in the January to June period, 729 (or 59.2%) were adopted by domestic couples. The spokesman of the Ministry of Health and Welfare attributed this “to a new law prioritizing domestic adoption to overseas adoption - rather than changing attitudes towards adoption - as well as tax incentives and campaigns to encourage domestic adoptions.” Although increases in domestic adoption was a sought after goal of the Korean government, time will be needed to assess the full impact of the new law on international adoption. The article commented that due to a decrease in international adoption, more children are now being cared for in orphanages and foster homes.
Welcome House is glad to see that Korean families are adopting Korean children. However, we hope that children will grow up in permanent families rather than in orphanages or foster care, regardless of how loving the caregivers are. Keep in mind that the numbers quoted above may change over the coming six months. It is difficult to predict what the future will bring for adoption from Korea. We know how difficult the long wait and uncertainty can be for our families. We will continue to share the information we receive about the status of adoption from Korea. If you have any questions about your family’s adoption process, please don’t hesitate to contact your Adoption Coordinator.
Yahoo Group for Korean Adoption
Did you know that you could join a group were you can share/find information about Korean adoption? This is a secure site only for those who are working with Welcome House. To join, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WelcomeHouseKAP/ and click on “Join This Group”. Be sure to include your name so that we can identify you and approve your application.
Philippines
By Nancy Marshall, Program Coordinator
Visitors from the Philippines
In August, we had two visitors from the Pearl S. Buck Foundation Philippines (PSBP) affiliate office of PSBI in Manila. On August 27, Dr. Leticia Yap and Ms. Erlin Tagle joined us at our Home Office in Perkasie, PA. Both are members of the Board of Directors of PSBP. They enjoyed meeting the PSBI staff, took a tour of the Pearl S. Buck House and had the opportunity to discuss the many aspects of our Opportunity House and Welcome House® programs in the Philippines.
Notice of change in policy from the Philippines
Just a reminder… the Board of ICAB has decided to temporarily suspend acceptance of new single applicants. This will not affect those we already have in process. We will keep you informed as to when ICAB will again accept single applicants.
Program status
We currently have 7 families in the Philippines program. Two have received placement, four are waiting for referrals, and one is completing their home study/dossier. We would be happy to welcome more families into the Philippines program!! Although ICAB is trying to match children more quickly, it is currently taking about 18 months from dossier approval to referral.
Waiting Children
ICAB has sent us information for four waiting children ranging in age from 3 years to 9 years. They have varying medical concerns. We are happy to report that some families have expressed an interest in these children. Please see the Waiting Child section of this newsletter for more detailed information. If you are interested in more information, please contact Nancy Marshall at 215-249-0100 extension 118 or nmarshall@pearlsbuck.org.
Vietnam
By Heather Carter, Program Coordinator
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Congratulations to Larry and Stacey, who received their referral for their son at the end of August! He is the first child referred from Khanh Hoa province.
Statistics
18 families are on our waiting list
9 families are working on their applications, home studies, or dossiers
10 families are waiting for referrals
2 families are considering referrals
4 families are waiting for travel (including 2 families adopting waiting children)
5 families have come home with their children |
Recent visits to Khanh Hoa and Ho Chi Minh City
The week of August 13th, Hang Pham and Thuy Nguyen visited Khanh Hoa and our partner orphanages in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss the status of our adoption program in these areas. Below are some updates based on these meetings:
Ho Chi Minh City
Hang and Thuy visited both Thi Nghe and Picasso while they were in HCMC. Thi Nghe was experiencing a round of diarrhea in the infant room so they were not able to spend much time with the children while they were there. They spent the bulk of their time meeting with the Board of Management and the staff. Much of the discussion focused on the low number of infants there right now and our hope for future referrals. At Picasso, they were able to visit the 4 children that are waiting to come home to their families. Hang learned that they had recently received some infants into their care. However, they assigned these children to other agencies that are also working with Picasso and whose families had been waiting even longer. There are at least 2 other American agencies and 1 or 2 European agencies working at Picasso. While we were disappointed to hear this, Hang and Thuy continue to advocate for the 3 families whose dossiers are currently at Picasso.
Hang and Thuy also met with the provincial Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (POLISA) following their meeting at Picasso. (POLISA oversees the government-run social services in the province, including orphanages.) Among other things, they discussed the current status of referrals from Thi Nghe and Picasso and advocated to POLISA on our behalf. POLISA assured Hang that they would call the orphanages to discuss the status of referrals.
Khanh Hoa
Hang and Thuy had a very successful trip to Khanh Hoa! There are 3 children 1 infant and 2 older children that will be eligible for international adoption at the beginning of September. We have been able to match the infant thus far. We are currently awaiting the results of the medical exams for the older children and then we will be matching them with families.
We were pleased to hear that Khanh Hoa has made a commitment to only working with Welcome House at this time. They have, to date, declined to work with 7 other adoption agencies. We are very excited about this because it gives us a good opportunity to help the provincial officials establish a solid, ethical, and transparent adoption system. We believe this will benefit our families.
On August 10th, POLISA, the provincial Department of Justice (POJ) and the provincial Department of Health (POH) made a joint announcement to instruct all health clinics, hospitals and orphanages in the province to strictly follow the procedures regarding receiving and caring for abandoned babies and children. (The POJ will oversee the actual adoption proceedings and the POH oversees all the government-run healthcare in the province.) This was done to reinforce the importance that children come into care ethically and that they enter the international adoption system if no Vietnamese family can be found for them.
The Wait for a Referral
Please know that we understand how distressing the wait for a referral can be, especially in a relatively new program like Vietnam where the time frames change and evolve as the program grows. Some of our families have been waiting over 10 months for a referral and we understand that this can be very difficult. Rest assured that Hang and Thuy, as well as the staff here in the US, are doing everything we can to advocate on your behalf and to continue to build our program. Your Adoption Coordinator can be a good source of information for you during the wait, as can other families who are waiting. Sometimes it is comforting to connect with someone who is going through the same thing that you are!
Welcome House Director, Leonette Boiarski, will be in Vietnam from October 14th through the 20th. During her trip she will be meeting with officials in Hanoi, Khanh Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh City to continue strengthening our relationships with our partners there and to advocate for our families.
PSBI explores adoption work with children exposed to HIV
In recent discussions with orphanages in Hanoi, it came to our attention that there are healthy children living in orphanages whose only hurdle to being adopted is that they tested positive for HIV when they were born. Many families do not know that testing positive at birth does not mean that the child has the HIV virus. It does mean that their mother was HIV positive and the child is either carrying her antibodies or the virus itself. According to Chances by Choice, an agency focusing on the adoption of HIV positive and HIV exposed children, 75% to 80% of children born positive have only the antibodies and not the virus itself. Depending on the type of testing that is completed, a child will be 6 to 18 months old when it is known whether they are carrying the virus itself.
Welcome House is exploring the possibility of finding families for these children. If you’d like to learn more about this subject, here are some helpful resources:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hivadoption/ - This Yahoo group is for families adopting or considering adopting a child who has been exposed to HIV or who is HIV positive.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8184945/ - Article about founder of Chances by Choice and her decision to adopt a HIV-exposed child.
http://www.adoption-link.org/FAQs.aspx#faq2 - FAQs on the website of Chances by Choice that discuss the fact that 75 80% of children born HIV positive are just carrying their mother’s antibodies.
http://www.orphandoctor.com/medical/general/hiv_infection.html - Dr. Jane Aronson’s discussion of HIV in internationally adopted children. Dr. Aronson has a New York City based foundation that has done much work with HIV and AIDS affected children internationally.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/perinatal/index.htm - CDC information on HIV transmission between mother and child.
http://www.womenchildrenhiv.org/wchiv?page=charts-00-06 “Establishing Presence of HIV Infection in HIV Exposed Children Aged Under 18 Months in Resource-Limited Settings to Facilitate ART and HIV Care.”
http://www.thebody.com/ This is a great resource with lots of information about HIV infection.
If you have any questions or think that you might be interested in adopting a child that has been exposed to HIV or a child that is HIV positive, please contact your Adoption Coordinator or me, Heather Carter, at hcarter@pearlsbuck.org.
Vietnam Program Yahoo Group
Did you know that the Welcome House Vietnam Program has its own Yahoo group? It’s a great place to meet other Welcome House® families, to receive Vietnam Program updates between newsletters, to share information, and to get support. If you’d like to join, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/welcomehousevietnam/ and click on “Join This Group.” Yahoo will guide you through the process. Don’t forget to put your name in your application to join!
Waiting Children
By Heather Carter, Program Coordinator
We’re glad to introduce Erin Slack, a Master’s of Social Work candidate from Kutztown University. Erin will be completing her internship at Welcome House this year. Erin will be working extensively with the Waiting Child Program. Erin is in the office Tuesday and Wednesday from 12 to 4:00 and Thursday from 8:30 to 5:00. If you have any questions about waiting children please don’t hesitate to contact her at eslack@pearlsbuck.org or 1-800-220-BUCK ext. 112.
Below is information about all of our waiting children. 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.
Waiting Children in China
We received our fourth group of waiting children on July 27th. Some information about the children is listed below. The China Center of Adoption Affairs asks that we do not list the children’s photographs on the internet in order to protect the children’s privacy. If you would be interested in learning more about any of these children, please don’t hesitate to contact Erin Slack at eslack@pearlsbuck.org.
“Paul” born 10/03 cleft lip and palate, both repaired
“Quinn” born 10/06 malformed hands and feet
“Rebecca” born 1/07 microtia (malformed ear) I have found my forever family!!
“Shelly” born 7/06 cleft lip and palate I have found my forever family!!
“Tom” born 4/05 congenital anomaly of the genitalia I have found my forever family!!
If you are interested in adopting a waiting child and have not yet submitted the China Waiting Child Conditions Form, please contact Erin at eslack@pearlsbuck.org and she will be glad to email the form to you.
Waiting Children in Korea
We currently have two waiting children in Korea. They are:
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Hui-su
This darling little boy was born in March, 2006. He currently has delayed development and hearing deficits in both ears. Clinically, he seems to hear to some degree in one ear and may be able to use a hearing aid. He is receiving physical therapy.
As of July 10, 2007 his motor development is at a 5 10 month level (depending on the skill being assessed) and his personal/social/language development is at a 10 - 13 month level. He enjoys playing with a rattle that makes sounds and splashing in the water at bath time. He recognizes his foster family members. Many tests have been completed, most with encouraging results.
At his last check up, he was almost 32 inches tall, weighed 25.8 pounds and had a head circumference of 19.5 inches. We recently received a video of this little boy to share with prospective adoptive families. |
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Yeong-il
This handsome little boy was born in March, 2007. He was born at 32 weeks gestation weighing 4.6 pounds. Although he had some reduced blood flow to his brain, a brain sonogram in early April revealed no unusual findings. However, the long term effects of this blood flow reduction are difficult to predict.
He has a grade 1-2/6 systolic heart murmur but is not suspected of having congenital heart disease. At his most recent medical exam on July 9th, he was found to weigh 12.5 pounds and he seems to be growing well.
We are awaiting some updated medical information for this child.
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If you are interested in learning more about any of these children, please contact Nancy Marshall at nmarshall@pearlsbuck.org or call 215-249-0100 extension 118. If the child’s information is already under review, your name will be placed on a waiting list in the order in which your inquiry is received.
Waiting Children in the Philippines
In May, Pearl S. Buck International was approved to find families for waiting children in the Philippines. We were glad to receive referrals for four children on June 5th. The Intercountry Adoption Board (ICAB) asks that we not post photos of the children in order to protect their privacy. If you are interested in learning more about any of these waiting children, please contact Erin Slack at eslack@pearlsbuck.org.
“May” is a beautiful little girl who was born in July 2004. She was born at 32-34 weeks gestation and stayed in the hospital for 2 months. She came into care in September, 2004 and she is currently in foster care. Developmental milestones were achieved at age appropriate intervals, although her language and motor skills now seem delayed. May prefers to play by herself. When evaluated on November 20, 2006, the report stated, “Present findings point to a communication disorder with impairments in social interaction and play.” The doctor suspected an Autistic spectrum disorder but was unable to make a definite diagnosis.
“Lyn” is a cheerful and friendly little girl who was born in October, 1997. She was 3 years old when her birth mother found she could not care for her, and she was placed in a temporary shelter. Although she was malnourished, much improvement was noted when she had sufficient food and vitamins. Lyn now lives with a foster family and is very responsible and well-behaved. She is of average intelligence and she is making good progress in school. In her foster home she is helpful and independent. She is well-liked by other children. Lyn indicated that she would very much like to be adopted by a loving family. Lyn has tested positive for Hepatitis B but is otherwise healthy and developing on target
“Maddy” is a darling little girl who was born in October, 1998. Maddy was abandoned at age 6 and was found to be malnourished, weak, dirty, and with limited speech. However, in the care of her orphanage she is showing much improvement in physical development, socialization and confidence. Her interaction with her peers is good. Although her caregivers have difficulty understanding her speech, Maddy enjoys talking and making up stories. She is doing well in her special education class at school. Maddy has been diagnosed with a type of strabismus (misalignment of the eyes) but surgery was not recommended.
“Alan” was born in October, 2001. He is an independent little boy who enjoys participating in school. He makes friends easily and recently won an award for being the “Most Friendly” student. He is also attached to his foster parents. Alan’s developmental level was evaluated in November, 2006. At that time, Alan’s development was similar to that of a 3 year old. However, his special education teacher remarked that he “can still improve his cognitive level.” During his check-up with the ophthalmologist, the doctor found him to have a type of strabismus (misalignment of the eyes) and recommended glasses. On March 22, 2007, Alan tested positive for Tuberculosis and medication was prescribed for 6 months. Because Alan was conceived under difficult circumstances, his birth mother chose to voluntarily relinquish her parental rights.
Waiting Child in Vietnam
We are glad to report that the waiting child mentioned in our previous newsletter has been matched with a family. We are currently gathering information on four older children, ages 3 to 7. Once we have received the medical information about these children, we will begin looking for families for them. If you have any questions or would like more information about our waiting child program, contact Heather Carter at hcarter@pearlsbuck.org or 215-249-0100 ext. 136.
**NEW** Yahoo group for Welcome House’s Waiting Children
Come join us at our new Yahoo group for families considering adopting waiting children, Welcome House Waiting Children. You can learn more at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/welcomehousewaitingchildren/. Just click “Join This Group” and you’ll have access to information and photographs of our current waiting children. You’ll also be able to connect to families that have adopted waiting children through Welcome House. See you there!
SWAN (Statewide Adoption Network) and Post Permanency Services
By Judith C. Sheriff, SWAN/Post Permanency Services Coordinator
The SWAN (Statewide Adoption Network) program and the Post Permanency Services program at Welcome House are both seeing increased activity. We are actively seeking adoptive matches for three SWAN families, and are preparing to update or initiate home studies for three more. We are working with five families in our Post Permanency Services area, providing case management, professional support and referral, assessment, and respite care when appropriate. It should be noted that these state-funded, time-limited services are available to all adoptive families in Pennsylvania, no matter from where their adoptive child came. We are finding that international adoptive families need services after finalization too, and we believe that Welcome House is uniquely situated to be of help to those families. |
