URGENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

URGENT NEED!!! WE JUST FOUND OUT JESSICA DOES INDEED WANT A FAMILY VERY BADLY! SHE ONLY HAS UNTIL NEAR THE END OF JULY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. SHE NEEDS A DOSSIERED FAMILY IMMEDIATELY TO MAKE HER DREAM COME TRUE? DO YOU HAVE A DOSSIER IN CHINA ALREADY? COULD YOU BE HER FAMILY? CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY: MARCISK@ASIADOPT.ORG

THERE IS A $5000 GRANT AVAILABLE FOR JESSICA!
















Jessica is active and extroverted. She has formed close bonds with her caretakers and is a happy girl. She is a smart girl and communicates well with others. She helps the caretakers do housework actively. She has normal physical and mental development.

Update: Jessica goes to boarding school during the week and comes back to the orphanage on weekends. She does her own laundry and helps take care of the younger children. She helps out the caregivers and wishes she can have her own family one day. Do you live near mountains? Maybe Jessica would fit in perfectly with your kids?

Pondering Boys....

We all know that boys are harder to place. If you're an orphan in China and a boy, that's a special need in itself, it seems. It used to be the other way around, but that has changed. Almost everyone currently waiting with ASIA wants a girl; even those who are open to boys prefer girls. Yet if you look at the proportion of boys available for adoption to girls, it is hugely disproportionate--there are vastly more boys available than girls! There are adorable young boys on the shared waiting child list right now! They have special needs that those adopting girls would be happy to accept, but there's one problem--they're boys! Now if you were getting a referral the old fashioned way, you would just get assigned a child. When one gives birth to a child biologically, the selection of boy vs. girl is made for them, but they are generally delighted with the choice! So how is it that so many parents in the adoption process are not open to considering boys? Perhaps your child is waiting for you, but you just don't know it because you haven't opened up to the possibility that your child could be a boy?

My daughter at age 2 is currently going through a phase where she only wants to play with boys! She would love to have a gege! Ok, it could be a massive Oedipal complex going on, but she truly sees the fun and value in boys. She's a girlie girl, but she loves to be active and play superhero games, play with cars, and all of the silly games young boys like to play. It might surprise you! I just spoke with a family yesterday who brought a boy home and an older one at that. They had all girls and he fits right in perfectly! He's happy, bright, cuddly and has many little mannerisms that their family members have. He even likes to play dress up with them! He also likes sports, which makes Dad happy...there's something for everyone! Boys are available....please consider them! This is my plea--just open yourselves to the possibility! It can't hurt...you'll have to wait a while for those girls anyway:-)

Another Request

We've been asked by CCAA to advocate for another child. Please meet Cole:

Cole is turning 11 years old this month. A member of CCAA spent time with him and said he was such a warm and polite young boy. His orphanage reports the same thing. He is always offering to do chores to help adults and always welcomes people and greets them. He is able to take care of his own daily living tasks. He is a sweet child, always ready and willing to help others. He is especially good with younger children. He is generous and understanding. I'm hoping we can find a family for his birthday! Could he be a good fit for your family? contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Are You My Mother?

Am I cute or what? My name is Zeke. Can't you imagine me sitting at a park with you and making one of my beautiful drawings? Or perhaps I could be a performer of some sort? I really want a Mommy and Daddy most of all! Siblings are good, too:-) I''m quite a ham--I'll recite a poem for you...or would you prefer a song? Please sit down...


Girls always oogle at me and say I'm soo cute! I like to learn and play sports with other kids. I can draw and sing pretty well, too. If I had a Mommy and Daddy, I could do anything! Could I fit into your family picture? Cheeeeeese!

I'm Jake; I'm all boy! I like to be rambunctious and active and silly! I'll demonstrate my super hero poses for you if you like? Do you like to wrestle, because I would love to have a daddy to wrestle with and a Mommy to cuddle with and read to me. Do you have some brothers for me? I really want a family!

I'm Lillian; I love playing outdoors in the light and music. I like doing things by myself, but get a little nervous, too. I need a Mommy and Daddy to help guide me and teach me to be self-sufficient.

Please spread the word about these children! Contact me if you're interested in considering any of them: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Their files are currently available.

Do You Have A Heart for These Children?

Do you want to make a difference in the life of a child? Share this blog with everyone you know and help these kids find their families! You never know where that red thread might lead!

Being Wacky

Jake here has some natural wackiness:















Zeke and Skippy are a bit goofy, too...although they try to contain it, sometimes it just bursts forth:-)

Charlie is the cutest sweetest, kindest and most determined little boy. Want a cuddly boy? This is your boy! Fei and Donna got him to be a little wacky:

Kids need to be kids, play and have the chance to be goofy, wacky and just have fun! See, Fei has no problem after years of practice:

As an adult, what better excuse to be wacky, than a child? The kids featured on our blog have not had much of a chance to be wacky. These kids need families to endulge in their wacky sides! If you're interested in any of these adorable boys, contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Struggling

I've been struggling about what to say here on the blog...it has been a sad day here at the office. It is looking like our little heart baby may not have much hope. Along those lines, I look at the shared list and it's full of boys. It is 74% boys, yet everyone wants girls. NONE of the boys about to age out with grants have found families! How can that be? Will it truly be their fate to live without a family? Take one last look and see if any of these boys could be yours.

Our current list of kiddos from Baotou is all boys. On that note, I have two bits of Good News to share:
Wally found his family--hooray! It sounds like Jeremy has a family, too! It's likely that Jonathan will have a family, so those are victories to celebrate! Yet Skippy, Zeke and Charlie have no one looking at their files. Lee, Foster, Heath, Leroy, Perry and Hansen who will age out in a matter of months don't have anyone considering them as far as I know. They are on the shared list, so perhaps they do. Yes, they are older boys, but they are still young and sweet at heart! These boys should have families! If you could be one of their families, please contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org We're running out of time for the 13 year olds!

A Little Adoption Inspiration

Today my heart was so happy as I talked to one of our moms who got home yesterday with her new son. He was part of our Hope's Journey 2 program last year and even with the jet lag, I could hear the utter happiness and wonder of actually having him home and playing in their backyard!

It is always the children and the families like this that inspire us every day.

If you are looking for some inspiration on why you should consider adoption, below are some thoughts from other ASIA families:

...."Where do I start? I find joy everyday because of my sweet daughter. If anyone is worried about loving an adopted child, don't! I have 4 biological children and the love isn't any different. I pray that we can add another little one to our family some day."

...."Adoption comes from the heart. When we decided to adopt it felt so right...like we were meant to go on this journey all our lives. Our daughter completes us."

...."My sons were born in my heart long before they ever came home. The One who formed the universe hand picked me to be their mom. Our lives have been changed in ways that we never could have imagined when we first decided to adopt."

Why Older Child Adoption?

One of our wonderful families has given us permission to share her gorgeous and eloquent blog post about their journey to adopt an older child and who she has blossomed into...it is quite beautiful and I would encourage all to read it:

http://www.michellerphotoblog.com/2011/04/inspiration-52-week-14.html

Perhaps this will inspire others to take the leap of faith and adopt an older child as well? There are so many out there who need Mom's and Dad's to love them! I've posted about several of those kiddos, yet still no one has asked to consider the files of Skippy, Zeke or Charlie....they're waiting for you!

Meet Zeke

Zeke is a charming, polite and bright young man who invited us into his room and pulled out chairs for each of us, asking us to "please sit down." He is a wonderful host, a happy boy and desperately wants to be adopted. There is an adorable picture of Zeke and Skippy together that I wish I could post on here, but it's a close up! They're like two peas in a pod, or perhaps more like Larry and Mo:-)

Zeke's group went outside to play one day and I peeked out the window to take some pictures without being seen. That didn't last long--they spotted me and soon were doing superhero poses to get my attention. Zeke is a bit of a ham--always the first to pose in front of a camera, or recite a poem or sing a song to show off. He's smart! This is a boy with a lot of potential in life! Surely there is a family that would be thrilled to find Zeke!

Zeke is not only an older boy, which is essentially a special need in itself, but he does have a minor special need. This type of child is the hardest to place. Can you help Zeke's dream to come true?

Caught in the Act

Jake is all boy! He is active, funny, determined, focused and goofy all rolled up into one. He is outgoing and once he saw us walking down the hallway, proceeded to welcome us with some superhero moves. He is very active and social and follows instructions well. He is able to multitask and I think this boy might be destined to be a lawyer! He is a determined negotiator and doesn't give up easily:-) He doesn't have much opportunity to follow his dreams where he is now, but with a family, there is no doubt he can go far! To consider Jake, contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Susan and I snuck up on Jake, Donna and Fei during their evaluation and I caught Fei demonstrating the wheelbarrow with Donna:-)

Hello, I'm Charlie

Charlie was another boy who any of us would have been happy to take home. He's a happy little guy who has the most determination of any of the kids we met. What a sweetheart! If you could see the close up pictures I took of him, you would fall head over heals in love with him, too! He is truly a gentle boy with a very loving personality. He's not outgoing, but friendly nonetheless and always smiling. He wants to please, so he always tries his hardest. Doesn't that sound like a perfect son and addition to your family? Charlie does have some challenges, but with some treatment, this boy could thrive. He is fully functional in his daily living tasks and very willing to learn. See our password protected website for close ups of his sweet face. If you would like to take a look at his file, email me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Meet Jeremy

Jeremy is another boy that stole all of our hearts! He was so sweet and caring with the other children in his room. You could tell he was a teacher's helper kind of boy. He would patiently show his friends how to do something they were having difficulty with, or he would open their snacks for them if they couldn't. He was outgoing and responsive and he really doesn't have much of a special need. This boy is such a sweetheart! If you're a mama wanting a girl because they're cute and cuddly, this is a boy who is cuddly! He'll shower you with kisses and hugs once he gets comfortable with you. I have no doubt this boy would thrive in a family with younger or older siblings. He's so gentle and kind and thoughtful. If you have any interest in Jeremy, please contact me--his file is currently available as I write this: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Meet Skippy

Please meet Skippy:

This is a typical picture of Skippy, as he is a happy-go-lucky boy who laughs a lot! In this picture, he was looking at picture of himself on the digital camera and thought that was really funny:-) He is such a sweet boy who sincerely enjoys life to its fullest. He wants a family of his own and would make a very sweet, loving son and bring a lot of fun and laughter into a family. Skippy stole all of our hearts and every time we saw him he would give us a big smile and wave hi! In fact, he was one of the very first children who came out to see us when we arrived. His special need is pretty mild and Skippy is fully functional in his daily life. I have no doubts that he would thrive in a family. Could you be the family for Skippy? Please contact me if you would like to consider him: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Plugs for the Older Kids

I want to put in a plug for the older kids. We are advocating for 7 kids about to age out of eligibility for adoption and they all have grants attached to them. If you're interested, please contact me right away--they don't have any time to waste!

Here's a few pictures from Fei's visit to the CCAA (now CCCWA).

We also have some kids from Baotou. The password has changed on our waiting child list, so if you would like the new one, please email me the form again with your information filled in marcisk@asiadopt.org :

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?

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 Body Mass Index: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.htm

Do you or your spouse have any health conditions, or a history of any health conditions? Do either of you take medication for anything? Please explain:

Number of children in your home:
How long have you had them?

Do you have a home study completed or in process?

Is your dossier in another country?
If it’s in China, with what agency?
Do they have access to the shared list?

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.”

We have 8 files from Baotou!

Here's the little guy with the heart condition pulling my hair:-)




Here's the babies' room where they get lots of attention:

We expected not to get files for at least a few months for the kids from Baotou, but there were a few kids who already have files done, so we now have them on our private list. After our families in process take a look at them, I will be introducing them to you:-) Meanwhile, here's a few more pictures from the trip to keep your attention.

Beijing Foster Homes

Our last day in China we spent in Beijing visiting foster homes run by Chinacare that had children from Baotou in them. We visited the Chinacare facility as well, which had several premies from Baotou and a few toddlers from Boutou. They were very protective of the children and we're not allowed to post their pictures, so you'll have to wait on those. But here are a few pics from our time there. We could have spent all day with those sweet little babies! Baotou sends their children that are medically fragile or need surgeries to Beijing to be cared for until they're ready to return to the orphanage. All of the babies from Baotou receive excellent care! It was very heartwarming.