The Change For Children Party

Happy Halloween!!! 

We had a fun Halloween party for ASIA's Change for Children Campaign last weekend:

Lots of Goodies!

Bobbing for Apples

Wrap The Mummy Game

We had a bunch of young kids and their parents take part and it was quite successful. We raised over $37 just with folks putting donations in a container sitting out at the party! Almost all of the kids made Trick or Trick containers to collect change in to help kids who don't have Mommy's and Daddy's. We'll see what the grand total is, but the party was fun for all and deemed a success!

If you're going out Trick or Treating tonight, consider taking a collection bag to help kids without Mommy's and Daddy's at our Partner Orphanage in Hunan Province. We hope to raise enough to make a real difference in the lives of those kids who wouldn't otherwise have a chance to be adopted!

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

To all of you on the East Coast who were in Sandy's path, our thoughts are with you for a speedy recovery.

ASIA's Webinar

On Nov. 7th, ASIA is pleased to offer a free introductory webinar on adopting from China. It will be hosted by ASIA's China Program Director, Fei Yang, from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PST (7p - 8p EST). To register, please contact Pattie at pattiec@asiadopt.org. This will be a great way to learn how to get started with Chinese adoptions so be sure to pass the information along!


Here's a picture of Fei, playing with the kids at our partner orphanage during our trip in June:

Fei has been with ASIA for 9 years now and is extremely knowledgeable about our programs and about the kids we met on our trip. She's a great person to talk to and an excellent speaker for the webinar. 

Recruiting 20 Families!

ASIA is now recruiting 20 families for waiting children from China with minor special needs. Are you considering adopting from China and/or are interested in any of the children you have seen on our blog? 

 Many of these children will be Non-Special Focus, which means they are only available to ASIA families with completed dossiers in our program. In order to be eligible for the Non-Special Focus children, you will need to start your dossier process now or already have a completed dossier. 

I have seen families wait to find their child before starting the home study and dossier process and then they are devastated when they do not qualify for the child they think is meant to be theirs. Or they find their child and that child has to wait even longer to get home to their family.

Don't make a child wait while you complete your paperwork. If you complete it now, that will be less time that your child has to wait for you. They have already been waiting too long for forever family.

ASIA believes that there is a family for every child. We work with families to make sure that they are prepared and pursuing the child that is right for their family. We are a team, working together to get every child home to their forever family as quickly as possible. We are honored to help guide families through their adoption journey, every step of the way. We believe that bringing a child home is just the beginning of the adoption journey....

Stay Tuned....

I just wanted to remind everyone to stay tuned, because we are expecting some more files from Changsha in the next few months. Here are some of the kids that may be coming, whom you may remember from last May/June:

I'm saving some more of them for future posts, so if you need a dose of adorable, stop by and check them out.....Happy weekend!

Little Hearts Medical Team

The brainchild of Mike and Tanya Lee, Little Hearts Medical has come to fruition! ASIA's Director, Joy Drechsler, attended the week long pilgrimage to Beijing with the Medical Team.

The team at the medical conference in Beijing

 There, the team evaluated children with serious heart conditions from Little Flower Medical Foster Home, they brought supplies to Little Flower, held nanny trainings there and they held a large medical conference. Some of the best cardiac surgeons in all of China attended the conference, along with Director Ji Gang from CCCWA. Dr. Armsby and the medical team instructed the attendees on the treatment methods they used on the Lee's children, who could not be helped in China at that time. The hope is to change that so surgeons in China will be able to help more children, enabling them to be adopted.

Doctor Armsby, the surgeon from Doernbecher on the team, along with our beloved China Director, Susan Song, and Director Ji Gang arranged for an additional 6 children with serious heart conditions from two orphanages outside Beijing to be seen by the team while they were there! The team had the opportunity to perform heart caths and develop complete treatment plans for the children they evaluated.

These Little Hearts have big dreams and they have already made a huge difference! The Lee's were able to raise enough money for this trip, as well as to purchase medical supplies, including a pacemaker, without which one of the children at Little Flower would not be treatable. Way to go Little Hearts!  Stay tuned for more information about Little Hearts, Little Flower and ASIA's waiting children!

Pieces of My Heart

Okay, well apparently no one is as excited about Change for Children as Pattie and I are here at the office. We're hosting a Halloween Change for Children party for my daughter's classmates and friends this weekend and we're so excited! We're going to make our Change for Children collection jugs, color them, then have some Halloween fun with Pin the Hat on the Witch, Wrap the Mummy and bobbing for apples. Oh, and don't forget all the yummy goodies! I just love Halloween!


On another note, I thought I would tell you about some of the kids that stole pieces of my heart when I got to know them in June. Sometimes there are kids that do that and it's really a gut feeling that I have a hard time putting words to. All I can say is that my gut tells me these kids have a lot more potential than we were able to show you in pictures. One kiddo that really just pulled at my heart hard for some reason was Lidia.

Lidia and I had more of a teasing relationship while I was there...me chasing her with my cameras and her trying to avoid them. She was shy about smiling and had a tough outer shell, but there was just something about her...something I can't put words to that made me think there's more to her than we could see under that tough shell. I wish there was a family that could crack that shell and help her become everything that she wants to be.

Josiah is another one. Josiah is a bright kid with loads of talent that oozes from every pore. The institute is doing a great job of helping him use his strengths, but he really needs and wants a family of his own. A deaf family would be a great fit for Josiah. Josiah doesn't hide his potential--it's all there for you to see in addition to his fun, goofy personality that anyone would love. Is there a family out there for Josiah?

Taryn is another kiddo that pulls at a piece of my heart regularly. The institute recognizes her strengths, as they made her the MC of their Children's Day celebration! She is so sweet, kind and nurturing, providing the mother figure that the other kids there need. But who will be Taryn's mother? Taryn needs a Mom to teach her how to be a kid, to be close to her and to nurture her. Taryn nurtures everyone else, but who nurtures Taryn? My heart tells me there must be a family for Taryn, but there isn't much time. If you have it in your heart, please help advocate for Taryn!

Tanner is another kiddo whose talent oozes from his pores. Tanner is outgoing, fun, goofy, funny, and he enjoys speaking English. He wants a family, has had the experience of living with a single parent before and is not picky about the type of family. If you're looking for an older child adoption, Tanner is your boy! He will be invested in making it work with whoever comes to get him. Communication will not be as challenging, since he already knows some conversational English and is eager to learn more. He plays the piano beautifully, loves to wrestle with the boys and play games. He didn't hesitate for a second with the costumes and dressed up right away as superman. I think Tanner has big dreams, but I also think that with the right help, he just might be able to accomplish them. Tanner is getting older as well. If you have a heart for older children, please help advocate for Tanner before he gets lost on the shared list once more or ages out!

Greer, Doug and Brandon also have pieces of my heart, but I have advocated for them quite a bit, so I will save that for another day....

The Reasons for Change for Children

I have mentioned our Change for Children Campaign before. This was an exciting event for us to be involved in, because it's so easy for folks to participate in it. All it takes is putting a milk jug with the Change for Children paper on it in your office building, or giving it to your child to Trick or Treat with on Halloween to collect pocket change for children around the world without families. Our focus this year is helping those kids in our partner orphanage who will not be adopted. Unfortunately, we have not had a big response to this campaign so far:-( We would be happy to mail anyone who needs one, a Change for Children bag to collect change in on Halloween. Now I know many of you are fundraising for your own adoptions, but this is a way to get your children involved in giving back to China. Just to show you who this will help, I will give you an example.

Our Change for Children Campaign this year will go to helping kids likes Cuyler who will never have the chance at having a forever family because they will, or have aged out of eligibility for adoption.

 It will help Eve, whose needs are so significant that she will probably grow up at the institute, having very little opportunities in her life once she is expected to live on her own.

It will help children like this poor kiddo who aged out right after our visit and we never even had a chance to try and help him. He will live in China with the stigma of being an orphan (which is a big hurdle in China) for the rest of his life. So Change for Children really will make a difference. Your children can see some of the faces of Change and all they have to do is collect pocket change. Then you can cash that in and make your donation online to ASIA at this web address: http://goo.gl/jy7Eu or send a check to ASIA's mailing address.If that's not your thing, than even a $10 donation will make a difference if everyone pitches in. The price of a Starbucks drink, or a movie. Okay, you've heard it all before. See if you can find a way to make a Change for Children this year and give us a like if you think you can do it!

Perfect Parents

The Rainbowkids Newsletter today really struck me. It said that there are no perfect parents and there are no perfect children. These waiting children that I try to advocate for don't need perfect parents. They need decent and loving parents who are going to try their hardest and face challenges head on, reaching out for help when needed, finding support and parenting for the good of their child/ren. That's a lot to ask of someone who has never parented before. People who haven't parented still hold those ideals of the perfect parent, but once you actually parent, especially parenting a challenging child, those ideals go out the window. So if you're worried that you won't be the perfect parent, don't worry! These kids don't need perfect parents. They're not perfect kids, but they all have tremendous potential and love to give.

Now that I've said that, no one is even looking at Trevor, Greer, Taryn, Lidia, Doug, Brooke, Miles, Carissa, Polly, Finley, Luke, Leo, Brandon, Tanner, Jenner, Johann or Josiah! This just breaks my heart! I have met many of these kids and I can tell you that I have seen the light in their eyes and witnessed their strengths. All they need is a parent to help them find their strengths and use them in life to reach all of the potential they have just waiting to be discovered.

 Let's take Finley, for instance...Finley is now in a wheelchair, but I've seen him use his legs to push off into a forward roll. I've seen him lift both legs straight up at the same time! Does he need to be in a wheelchair? I can't answer that, but I see potential there. He is a sweet, playful, loving boy.

Now let's take Brandon. He is so adorable! Look at this smile:

Don't you just want to snatch him into your arms and pinch those adorable cheeks? Why has no one come forward for this sweet boy? Please consider these kids! Don't let being a boy be a special need any longer!

Little Lively Leo

Leo is a popular and obedient 5 year old boy who loves to color. He loves to use many colors, so his hands are always covered in various colors of pen, although he pays attention to hygiene so his clothes are always immaculate. He is in preschool and is very close to two other children, who he walks hand in hand to class with daily. His personality is mild and introverted, however when he is around people he knows well, he is active and lively. He loves to play in water and always does so for a few minutes before he gets bathed. He is a very curious boy.

Carissa is a 10 year old girl with good manners who is very polite, active and generous with a beautiful, big smile. She can sing and dance and likes to play outdoors. Her foster family has given her a lot of education, which she enjoys teaching to the younger children. She is in elementary school now and is able to take care of her daily needs. She is responsible, obedient and mature. She likes to hear the story of Snow White, perhaps because she has a dream of becoming Snow White herself.

Across Miles and Miles...

Hi there! My name is Miles. I'm 6 years old and I don't like to have my picture taken, but I am very anxious to be adopted and have a forever family. I love to play basketball, play games and ride bicycles, but I need someone to teach me how to ride without training wheels. I'm friendly, outgoing and curious. I'll be ready to go whenever you come to get me!

Giving It Another Try

ASIA is giving it another try! We got the kids from Changsha who were still on the shared list back onto our individual list so we can continue to advocate for them.  So please welcome back the following kids and check out the posts we wrote about them:

Doug--sweet, timid, happy, smiley 5 year old Doug: Doug's Post

Brandon--Affectionate, shy, sweet Brandon: Brandon's post

Tanner--friendly, outgoing, well spoken Tanner: Tanner's post

Jasper--sweet, trepidacious, curious Jasper: Jasper's post

Lidia--mysterious, bashful, tough, funny Lidia: Lidia's post

Taryn-- nurturing, caring, thoughtful, Taryn: Taryn's post

Josiah--talented, bright, funny Josiah: Josiah's link

Finley--independent, curious, happy, funny Finley: Finley's post

Johann

Jenner--vivacious, silly, outgoing Jenner: Jenner's post

Greer--gregarious, happy-go-lucky, smiley Greer: Greer's post

These kiddos are special to us and we hope to be able to find the families that thinks they are, too! Please see our previous posts about these kiddos or contact me for more information: marcisk@asiadopt.org 

Beautiful Brooke

We met Brooke when we visited Zhuzhou's beautiful new facility (see my post on Zhuzhou for more info about that). She is an 11 year old girl and is in the 2nd grade. She was friendly, but also a little shy. She loves to dance and sing and she performed a little number for us, which you can see a picture of below. She helped to show us how the various equipment worked in the sensory room.

She is a lovely girl and likes to help others. Because of Brooke's special need, she has a special teacher assigned to her at boarding school and goes home to her foster home on the weekends. She told us that she liked being at her foster home better, because school is very strict. PE and dance are her favorite classes. Brooke has made so much progress since she was initially found. She is now active, outgoing with other children and gets along well with others. She is smart and learns quickly, as you can see in the video below where she learns how to use this equipment on the spot:

Brooke needs a family to call her own, to be with 7 days a week, not two days a week. Could she be the missing piece in your family? Contact me for more information: marcisk@asiadopt.org 

Thoughts on Older Child Adoption

I have been thinking a lot about older child adoption recently. We are working on a book to help older children to be more prepared for adoption--the good, the bad and the ugly. We would like to include some letters from children who have been adopted at an older age and who have some advice for children making the adjustment. If you or your child would be willing to contribute to this project, please contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

As I journey through my thoughts on this topic, I wonder, what would be the most important questions to ask an older child when making such a huge, life changing decision? What would you want to tell a child making this decision? Once a child makes the decision to be adopted, what do you feel are the most important points to convey to them before they meet their new parents? What do you wish your child had known before placement?

We do not want to be a part of a placement where an older child did not willingly make the decision to be adopted. No child should be pressured into this decision. I can't even imagine having to make such a huge decision at the age of 11, 12 or 13. At that age, what color shoes you are going to wear with your outfit is a huge decision! It's hard for me to think a teenager can even comprehend this kind of decision. Therefore, we are going to try to help them with that--not sway them one way or the other, just help them to think about and make the best decision possible for themself....

Great News and....

We have some exciting news to share! Jenna will have a family! Jenna touched a lot of people for some reason and I think everyone will be happy to know that she has a family pursuing her! Congratulations to that family! We will be working hard to help them finish the required paperwork in time to adopt her before her birthday.

At the same time, we have decided to advocate for Trevor, who will be aging out in May. He is a sensitive, healthy, older boy who needs a family. There is a $5000 GRANT for Trevor through ASIA! Waivers may be possible, so contact me for details.

Trevor is on the shared list, so anyone with any agency can pursue him at this point. Trevor is an intelligent, kind and polite child. He is obstinate when facing difficulty, pursuing the answer until he gets it.  He loves helping others, both his teachers and other kids, and is a sensitive, friendly and a good boy. Contact ASIA for more information: marcisk@asiadopt.org