Sweet Seely

 You may have seen sweet Seely in pictures I posted shortly after our trip to meet these kids. Doesn't his sweet smile just melt your heart?

Seely is a very sweet boy who is helpful and playful with younger children. As you can see in the picture, he showed us this side of him as he played with another child pretending to eat her treat and then giving it back several times. What a cutie! Seely was nearly 2 1/2 years old while we were there and he was already making two word phrases and was very verbal. His nannies said that he learns quickly and would learn whatever they were able to teach him. He is a curious, inquisitive and friendly little boy. He gave Fei a kiss on the cheek when she asked:-) I think he was showing off a bit, as he showed us how he could climb into the cubbies and back out. His special need doesn't limit him very much. He asked hat the nannies put on some music so he could dance and he did a little jig! It was so cute! Seely would make a great addition to any family. He would be a warm, cuddly and affectionate little boy who is also smart and great with younger children. Although he does have a streak of jealousy when he sees his favorite nanny holiding someone else (a good sign for attachment at this point!). Seely's file is currently available. Contact me if you would like to consider him: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Magic of the Holidays

All around the world people celebrate different things this time of year, but no matter what you celebrate, we wish you peace, health and happiness!

This time of year people seem to think of others more than any other time of year. Passions lie in different areas, but here at ASIA, we have a passion for finding children families. Sometimes a child just touches your heart, and that has happened to all of us at ASIA, at one or many times. We would like to help all of the children of the world, but we're taking it one child at a time. If you would like to join our mission and help one child at a time to find the unconditional love of family, please consider sending your year end contribution to ASIA's Gift of Family Fund. It helps to make adoptions possible for children and families that otherwise might not be able to be united. It has already changed several lives and we hope to be able to continue its magic in the coming year. If a monetary gift is not possible, we welcome volunteers to help us spread the word about waiting children to help unite them with their forever families. Give the Gift of Family this year. There is nothing more important.  Enjoy your family this holiday season! Happy Holidays!

A Dream for Yuna

When I first met Yuna, I wasn't sure we could find a family for her. She was in a room with children who were physically handicapped and there were no toys or any form of stimulation in there. She was playing with a tupperware container--licking it, hanging upside down, climbing on the railing, anything to provide herself with the stimulation she wasn't getting from her environment. My heart went out to her, but I thought to myself, I just don't know if we can find a family for a child who looks like she could be autistic....

Then I saw Yuna in her Half The Sky classroom--WOW!!! What a difference! She made eye contact with her teacher, she participated in activities, and she attemped to communicate her wants and needs. She even sat in her teacher's lap without any fuss. This gave me hope for Yuna and I thought perhaps we can find her a family after all. I think this child has potential. If given the stimulation she doesn't get in her room at the orphanage, and a loving family to work with her, I think she would make incredible progress! Can't you see the happy child inside this girl who is just itching to get out? She needs someone to open up her world with language and help her experience all of the firsts that she hasn't had the opportunity to experience yet. Wouldn't it be amazing to watch her face light up at seeing Christmas lights for the first time? Or taking her swimming? Or any of the other activities you would introduce a baby or toddler to for the first time? I gave her a set of markers and some paper that I had and it was like seeing a starving child eat. She was so interested in figuring out how those markers work!

I think that the right family could help Yuna blossom. Could you be that family? Do you know anyone who could? Please pass on Yuna's information to anyone you can think of. I know it won't be easy to find her a family, but I believe Yuna has potential and her family must be out there!  Please contact me for more information about Yuna--her file is available: marcisk@asiadopt.org 

Hope for the Holidays

Hooray for Jason!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The happiest news for the holidays is that Jason will have a family! It warms my heart to know that he will have the love of a wonderful family. They are very experienced and I have full confidence that they understand the severity of his condition. They are prepared to love him through whatever care he may need and I have full confidence that they can and will do so. Congratulations to Jason and his family! Joy beat me to the announcement because I have been so busy trying to help the family get him home as quickly as possible. Back to work...Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!

Joyous Jaci

Jaci is a bright-eyed, happy, dimpled 1 1/2 year old girl. We didn't meet Jaci, as she was recovering from her surgery at the time we were there. Jaci is somewhat of a tease and loves to be with her nannies. She has a quick smile, and whenever her nannies say "Good girl, [Jaci], she laughs showing her 4 little white teeth and her cute dimples. As of June, she could crawl and roll over fast. What a sweet little one! Who wouldn't delight in her antics? If you would be interested in considering cute little Jaci, contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Updates on our Adorable Kiddos!

As always, there is a good news with the not so good news. I'm thrilled to be able to announce that Tacy, Josh and Jasmyn have families pursuing them! Congratulations to their new families!

The not so good news is that many of the rest of the kids don't have a lot of interest. Files are currently available for: Dalton and Rachel (if you have a dossier completed), Shane, Evan, Hogan, Sherman, Simon, Caroline, Balin, Jeb, Lewis and Yuna. Of course, Jason's file is available to anyone who wants to seriously consider him as well. We do have interest in Jason, which is extremely encouraging!

Dalton and Rachel are both Non-Special Focus kiddos until mid-January(ish), which means they are only available to families with completed dossiers before then. If you would like to get on the list to view their file, but you don't have a completed dossier, you may do so, but you won't get the file until early January.

Please contact me if you have any interest in any of these kiddos! They're all precious and in need of families!

Cute and Pudgy Simon

Simon is a happy, silly, roly poly little guy. He's so cute and pudgy, his little cheeks just draw you in, don't they? Simon is a smiley and cuddly 3 year old boy. He just aged out of the Half The Sky room at the orphanage. He is not possessive, follows instructions well and shares well with other children (great brother, here!). While they were playing, our OT and Simon bonked heads. Simon cried and went to his nanny for comfort and then went back to the OT, crying loudly, as if to say: "I'm mad at you, that was mean!" So cute! Way to stick up for yourself, little guy!

We all know that boys are very hard to place, so if you know anyone who would consider him, please send them the blog link or have them contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org
Let's find Simon's family!

Jason

Jason is the boy who made our hearts melt the moment we met him. He is a sweet boy who is in desperate need of a family who can get him the surgery he needs, which no one will do in China. His adoption must be expedited and his only hope is if we find him a family. But Jason is more than just a special need:

 Look at this playful little tike:-) Even though he has very low energy, he is still a tease in his own right! Jason has been moved from the orphanage to foster care because they think that he is unadoptable, but I know different! I've witnessed families doing amazing things for these kids before and I just know there is a family that would love to have Jason as a part of it!

Don't his eyes captivate you? He is a beautiful baby! He is only 1 year old and now is the time to get him the surgery he needs. He is a happy boy, despite his condition and there is no doubt that he would bring his happy smile, cuddles and love to the right family. Jason loves to be cuddled by his nannies and entertains both himself and his nannies with his attempts at blowing raspberries. Could you be the family that is the recipient of his good humor and sweet cuddles? Please contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Cute Caroline

Cute Caroline is a shy little girl when she first meets new people. She warms up in a group setting and when she is happy she is friendly and outgoing. She hugged us and sat in Dr. Hayes' lap voluntarily. She, like all of the other kids in the room, were very interested in us and the treats we brought along. She also played readily with the Lego-type toys, putting the pieces together. Her teachers at the Half the Sky school mentioned that she was extremely shy when she first came to the school, and didn't talk much. Since she has gotten more comfortable in the school setting and with  her teachers, she has become more responsive and interactive. Caroline's heart needs some healing and she needs to develop the love and trust that only a family can provide. To learn more about Caroline, please see our waiting child list or contact Marci: marcisk@asiadopt.org 



It was hard not to scoop them all up and take them home!

Hilarious Hogan

Who, me?

Hogan is almost 2 years old and boy, has he learned how to be a tease! He is a bit mischevious in a good humored way. Hogan is a clever little imp! He doesn't have verbal language, but he figures things out quick! He can communicate quite well through sign and gestures and interacts with people quite competently. He understands his nannies and likes to cuddle with his favorite nanny. He and Shane make quite the little team in the play room. Shane snatches the toys away from other kids and Hogan figures out how to escape from the room! He is very interactive, curious, good natured and a happy little boy. If you meet him, you will see his gorgeous, irresistible smile quickly! It will melt your heart! Hogan's file is available for review. Please contact me if you're interested: marcisk@asiadopt.org  If he's not the right fit for your family, please spread the word about Hogan. He's an adorable boy who would make the right family very happy!

Please Meet Lewis

Please meet Lewis. He is a spunky, determined little fellow who desperately wants to be adopted more than anything else. He is anxious to leave the orphanage and have a better life. He wants to learn English and volunteered his ABC's as well as saying "Good morning, thank you, bye-bye." He really wants to go to school and learn, but he is not allowed to go to school at the institute because of his ADHD behaviors. I asked him about what kind of family he would want and he was not picky, but said that he would like to have siblings and he likes dogs. He told the doctor that was with us that "I want to go to States." He sang a song, recited a poem and generally tried to impress us and it worked! Lewis likes gymnastics and tried to show some of his moves. Lewis is a very sweet boy. We told him we would try our hardest to find him a family. We know his family must be out there! Lewis understands adoption and desperately wants to be adopted and come to the U.S. Could you be his family or do you know the perfect family for him? Please spread the word to help Lewis find his family!!! Let's make a dream come true this holiday season!

ThanksGiving

Thanksgiving is upon us, and we at ASIA have a lot to be grateful for this year. We are thankful that the Baotou files have arrived so the kids can be placed and we have two being pursued already! Tacy and Josh are both being pursued! Congratulations to those families! I'm thankful that we seem to have a lot of interest in the kids and I'm hopeful that the families and children that are meant to be united will find each other.

I'm so thankful that so many families have been matched with their children this year! Congratulations to all of those families! I'm also incredibly thankful for all of my amazing volunteers who have moved mountains for children and gotten out there and spread the word far and wide about children needing families! I'm thankful that I have a wonderful family, including all those in the ASIA family, which keeps growing! I'm thankful for each of my coworkers who work so hard to help children and families unite and they are all incredible people! I'm also thankful that it's National Adoption Month and ASIA is giving a $500 discount to every family that is accepted into our program during November and December!

I'm thankful for all of you reading these blog posts and taking an interest in the children for whom we advocate. Each time you share with a friend or family member, you help to spread the word about these amazing kids who each deserve a family of their own. Each time you send the link to someone else, you make that red thread shorter and give each child a greater chance at having a family. Thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving from ASIA!

Shane--Fast as Lightening!

Please meet Shane. You may have seen him in some photos of the babies snatching some toys--this little character is quick:-) He is curious and inquisitive and interested in new people. When we were there visiting, he came over and gave me a toy and smiled:-) What a sweetie! He won my heart! The pictures didn't capture his sweet smile, but it will melt your heart! This little boy gets around like there's not stopping him! The nannies love him and he definitely has a favorite. Other than snatching toys away, he interacts appropriately with the other kids in his room. He's a sweet little guy who just needs a family to adopt him and get him the medical attention he needs that he can't get in China. Our OT saw him and evaluated him. If you would like more information, please contact me--his file is current available! marcisk@asiadopt.org

The Baotou Kids Are Here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The Baotou kids have arrived--at least a bunch of them have! They are beautiful, mostly young, and many have minor special needs! What's more, we have met most of them! Yes, they stole our hearts back in April!  We do have some older kids, up to the age of 11 and our youngest child is 1 year old! They are now up on our password protected website and I will begin featuring children who do not get much interest here, daily, on this blog. If you would like to take a look at our password-protected website and you do not have our current password, please fill out the form below, or email me at marcisk@asiadopt.org
You never know who you might find!

Name:




Mailing Address:



City/State/Zip:



Phone Number:



E-Mail Address:





Your ages:



Are you married? If so, what was the date of your marriage?



Have you or your spouse been divorced? If so, how many times?



Annual Income:



Do your net assets reach $80,000 or more?

If you are single, do your net assets reach $100,000 or more?



What are you and your spouse’s highest levels of education?



Do you or your spouse have a criminal record?



What are you and your spouse’s BMI: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.htm



Do you or your spouse have any health conditions?



Do you have a history of any health conditions? Do you take any medication? Please explain:



Number of children in your home:

How long have you had them?

If you are single, is your youngest child at least 6 years old?



Do you have a home study completed or in process?



Is your dossier in another country?

If your dossier is in China, with what agency?

Does your agency have access to the shared list?



If so, why do you want to view ASIA’s waiting children?



How did you hear about ASIA?



State that you “agree” or “disagree” to the following statement:



“I recognize that ASIA regards the information about children in its Waiting Child program to be private and confidential. If I am granted access to this information, I agree that I will only use this information personally in my own quest to adopt a child with special needs. I will not give the password and access information to anyone. I will not share or disseminate (including cut and paste) any of the information contained on the site.”

Please copy and past the form into an email and send it to: marcisk@asiadopt.org
I look forward to hearing from many of you!

Ani

Some faces haunt me and Ani has one of those faces.

She looks so sad in this picture. When I see kids like her on the shared list, I'm afraid that people see their special need instead of the child. Sometimes it's hard to see the child through all of the medical jargon in a file and so little about the actual child. But Ani, I see through her eyes. I see that she needs a family. I know that there are things in files that haunt families, and there is something in Ani's file that haunts me. It says she can't draw well, but takes it seriously and she can draw her dream and hope.....

Ani lives in a foster family, doesn't go to school, but learns quickly. Can we help make her dream and hope come true? Could you be the family that can see the child beyond the special need?

The Twins

I'm happy to announce that the twins have found a family! Congratulations to that family! When their files went back to the shared list, I was afraid they wouldn't find a family. Thanks to the wonderful advocates out there who never gave up, they will have one! I'm thrilled for them and for their family!

I have to recognize our wonderful advocates who go out there and spread the word about adoption and about our specific children waiting for families! They have helped so many children find families! A special thank you goes out to those volunteers putting those words into action for National Adoption Month and taking those advocacy efforts to their church or community. They are presenting our waiting children in clever ways and I have no doubts that their efforts will help more children and families to be united. They deserve so much more than a thank you! So to all of you who go out there with adoption in your hearts and help spread the word--thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

HAPPY NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH!!!!!

Happy National Adoption month!!!! In honor of National Adoption month, ASIA is offering a $500 discount in adoption fees to families who apply and are approved in the months of November and December! Have you been putting off getting started on an adoption? Don't put it off any longer--take that leap of faith and send in your application to ASIA! Whether you're religious or not, adoption is a leap of faith. There are just no guarantees in birth or adoption. But if your dream is to be a parent and you're open to a child with special needs or an older child, than there is likely a child dreaming of a family just waiting for you. Once you find that child, you will wish you hadn't waited to get started. Waiting is the hardest part of the adoption process.

So let's take a look at what we're offering here....if you apply for Heath with those heartbroken eyes, you would get a discount of $5,500 off your adoption fees! Heath only has until January to be adopted! Don't drag your feet! Don't let money stop you--contact us today. These children can't afford to wait--their time is running out in just a month or two for our older boys. I stress on the boys because they are the ones aging out and when I take a look at the shared list, my heart breaks that there are twice as many boys as there are girls. I'll say one more thing about boys...as we help families through the adjustment process with older child adoptions, the girls are always harder than the boys during the adjustment. The boys seem to do very well! So far, the boys are becoming polite, well mannered and loving young men. Girls are wonderful, too, but there are plenty of families for the girls, so my heart truly goes out to the boys.

So in honor of National Adoption Month, help spread the word about what adoption as a wonderful way to create a family. Perhaps you can be the link to help another child find a family?

Meet Danielle

Please meet Danielle:


Isn't she adorable? Danielle only has a very minor special need. She is 7 years old and is an active girl with a ready smile. She likes to play games, listen to music and watch TV. For more information about Danielle, please contact me. Her file is currently available for review: marcisk@asiadopt.org
Could she be your daughter?

Happy Halloween!

Scary stories, folks in costume, spooky sounds and trick or treating! I love taking my child to the pumpking patch and seeing her reactions to all of the fun Halloween activities and letting her pick out the perfect pumpkin. The air is just starting to turn crisp in this neck of the woods and the leaves are just starting to fall. It's getting darker earlier and the gloom of winter is upon us, yet we have holidays to celebrate!

My favorite holiday of all time--moowahhahahaha!!! Although my heart is sad because I've just heard that Halloween has been cancelled in some parts of the country due to the storms and power outages! Poor kiddos! Maybe they can make the best of it and tell scary stories and have candy or s'mores.

Halloween is a great time for kids and for families! There is nothing better than seeing your child dress up and be absolutely whoever or whatever they want to be for a night! Let their imaginations go crazy and then they get to enjoy themselves as whatever creature they have decided to be. It's a great time to have BOYS, as they're not scared of the spookiness of Halloween--the spiders, the ghosts, the ghoulish faces walking around the streets, saying "Trick or Treat!" How I wish we could grant each of our waiting children the greatest gift, and give them forever families to share their life experiences with, and to have that unconditional love that allows children to venture forth on nights like Halloween, knowing they have a safe home and family to return to at the end.

Files Went Back

I'm happy to report that families were able to apply for Marianne, Lina, Janelle and Scott before their files went back. However, the rest of that group's files did go back: Heath, Foster, Darien, Leroy, Corey, Greta and the twins' files all went back to the shared list. We can still access them, but they have now gone back to listing on the shared list. We have been feverishly working with our families today on urgent issues, so I will have more time for a post next week. But I wanted to say:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Let's Not Forget Our Boys and Girl from Baotou

 Life in Baotou:

 Lillian likes music and playing with toys. She is rather shy with new people, but very close to her caretaker. She is an energetic girl who loves pretty dresses and having visitors come and is very well behaved with visitors. She is very happy when she gets to wear new clothes or pretty dresses or receives gifts. One of her happiest moments recently was having a small birthday party with cake. She loves to play on the trampoline and recently learned to do a somersault with the help of her foster mother. In March she moved into a new house with other girls and gets along with them.

 Jake just had another birthday without a family. He is an 8 year old boy with a lot of boy energy. He is enthusiastic, but can also focus when asked to do so. He is very interested in superheros, as you can see from his picture of his superhero pose:-) Jake would do great in a family with some other boys, whether they are brothers, a dad who likes to wrestle or some uncles or cousins close by. His special need doesn't seem to affect him a whole lot in his daily life.

Skippy is an adorable 8 year old boy. He's sweet, happy go lucky and outgoing. He needs a patient family who will help him focus and work through his challenges. Skippy is physically very able, but needs some help in school and a Mom and Dad who will help and give him the attention he needs instead of giving up. Skippy also loves superheros and is buddies with Zeke and Jake.

Zeke is a 9 year old boy who seems very mature for his age. His special need scares a lot of people away, but if you didn't know what it was, I bet you could never guess! He's very capable, outgoing and really wants a family. He needs a family who can focus on him for a while and make up for the lack of a family for 9 years of his life. Zeke is a very polite and obedient young boy, but also very goofy when given the chance and seems to be a leader among his peers.

A Visit to an Orphanage

ASIA's China Director visited an orphanage recentely and took some of these cute pictures. Some of these kids are on the Special Focus list already and some don't have files yet. There were LOTS of boys!

Jeffrey:

Meet Jeffrey. This is what Susan had to say about Jeffrey: . He can answer the questions, can say three word sentances. His language is OK. He smiles a lot. He knows his body parts. He can’t run yet. He has very good eye contact. When I asked him to hold my hand, he doesn’t hold my hand but John’s instead. He likes John. He said to John: "Ni Hao!" when he saw John at first glance.





Stay tuned for more children featured from our waiting child list....

Desperately Seeking Scott

We are desperately working our hearts out to get another one of the older children about to age out home to his family. Scott now has a family pursuing him! You may remember him from the updated pictures of him where he is driving a car and playing basketball. He ages out in early January, so the whole staff is working hard to make this happen! Keep Scott in mind these next couple of months!

Our last record breaking adoption of a child about to age out has safely made it home and is adjusting to her new life. Her family is truly inspiring. They make the world shine a little brighter.

Meet Carly

Please meet Carly. Her nannies initially thought she might be showing some autistic behaviors. Then they moved her to a different room, where she seemed to improve. Our China Director recently visited her orphanage and took this video of Carly. Early on it seems that she is pretty intent on playing by herself. Then her nanny picks her up and she is very engaged.Take a look for yourselves! Then let me know if you would like to consider her or any of our other adorable waiting children: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Isn't She Gorgeous?

Please meet Abby....isn't she gorgeous? That smile just warms my heart as she smiles right down to her core. These pictures are from a visit our China Director made to her orphanage. Our China Director brought some goodies, and as you can see, Abby took delight in exploring those things. She was active, despite her special need--she walks with a bit of a limp. She is also very outgoing and didn't hesitate in front of the cameras. What a treasure! Her file is available for review. Please don't be scared away by her special needs. Abby needs a family of her own! Could you be that family?

A Miracle Happens!

I am thrilled to announce that the girl that I posted about who was needing a family before October, Amber, is going to have one at the end of the month! Some miracle workers put their heads together and got the family's paperwork through so that they can travel in time to adopt her before she turns 14! Thank you to those members of the U.S. and Chinese governments who were willing to work a little harder to change a girl's life! Miracles do happen:-)

Waiting Children News!

ASIA's China Director is planning to visit an orphanage in Beijing this week, where 8 of our current waiting children reside. We hope to receive more pictures and updated information regarding those children next week! The children included in that visit are: Carly, Mia, Ethan, Eli, Aubrey, Abby, Jeffrey and Ani. There may be additional children as well.

If you are interested in any of those children, please feel free to contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org