Cathwel Directors Visiting from Taiwan

On October 14th, during their visit to the United States, Cathwel directors from Taiwan will be attending an Autumn Moon Festival in Easton, Connecticut. Details for this fun event are in the flyer below. We hope our Cathwel families will be able to attend.

Recently in Taiwan Adoption News

Sean, Jeanine and Simon on Gotcha Day in July!

Mom reports that "Simon is now a celebrity in Tulsa!"

 

If July was all about boys, well, August was all about girls! In August, three families travelled to Taiwan to bring home their little girls and one family accepted a referral of a baby girl! These little ones will be growing up with their new families in the states of New York, Texas and Pennsylvania.

Cora arrived home to Texas in August -- here she is sharing a laugh with Mom!

 

There is also a healthy 4 year old girl, Zoey, available for adoption from Taiwan. Her basic information is on Gladney's Asia Waiting Child blog. If you have completed the adoption home study and would like to learn more about Zoey, please contact Taiwan caseworker, Judy Hayes judy.hayes@gladney.org.

Zoey, age 4

 

Last month, we issued a Taiwan program update that contained information about all three of the partner organizations we work with in Taiwan. Please visit the Gladney Taiwan blog to read this update. As always, please feel free to follow up with your caseworker if you have any questions or would like to talk about the status of your case. I know we are all sad to see the summer wind down, but we look forward to a busy fall with many new things to share!

Gongzhan on NY1

Last month, Gongzhan and Wendy gathered with three Gladney families for the filming of a special local news segment "New Yorker of the Week". It turned out to be a really fun and special day! As luck would have it, the families had all received their referrals from China on the same day four years ago in 2008. Coming together for this shooting was a surprise reunion; not only did the kids have a great time, but the moms did too! It was so nice to spend the day enjoying each other's company and being part of this news segment honoring Gongzhan as an outstanding New Yorker. Please click here to view the news segment.

Asia Waiting Child Face Book Parent Group

My name is Juliette Howard, and I am an adoptive mom getting ready to go to China to adopt our son, Zhao Chen Pin, 7, who was on Gladney's Waiting Child list. I really want to connect with other Gladney families, so I recently opened up a Face Book group called "Gladney's Guang Ming Families" as a means to reach out to other Gladney families who are adopting or have adopted through the Asia Waiting Child Program. I wanted to create this group specifically for Gladney families so we could talk about the Gladney process from beginning the paperwork chase to Forever Family Day. I think we could use this group to meet many needs of adoptive families who may just want a tight group to help answer questions from deciding to adopt a special needs or older child, as well as support while in China and when we get home.

Pat Marcus

Pat Marcus, who meets the Guang Ming children in China, is also an active member of this group. She has traveled over to China many times and is willing to share her experiences and answer any question she can. She is also a wonderful source of support. Please check us out on Face Book and come join!

Join CCCWA Delegates in NYC

A delegation from CCCWA (China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption, formally CCAA) will be visiting the New York area on the heels of the Mid-Autumn festival. Due to the very positive feedback from the 2010 NYC Harbor Cruise - we are planning for a 2nd cruise on Sunday, October 14th! We hope that all families in the Tri-State area (and beyond!) who have adopted children from China will consider coming aboard! This is a wonderful occasion to celebrate your family's Chinese heritage and the well-being of the children with other adoptive families, along with the government officials and orphanage directors who work to support international adoption from China.

 

Click here for a detailed invitation/registration. We hope to see you on the cruise!

GFA Kickoff Events - Happening Now!

Lion Dance at GFA
Chinese New Year Party

Throughout September, Gladney families are coming together across the U.S. at local GFA Fall Kickoff events. These social events give families a chance to get involved in their local adoption community and meet other adoptive families.

 

The GFA Kickoffs include visits from Gladney Leadership, introductions to local GFA board members and announcements of upcoming events including Chinese New Year Celebrations.

 

To find the date of your area's GFA Kickoff event click here.





 

China Winter Tour

Gladney Center is very excited to be part of the CCCWA "Celebrating Culture and Experiencing China" Winter Tour from December 23, 2012 - January 2, 2013. Gongzhan Wu, from the Gladney Center, will be joined by NCFA President Chuck Johnson to lead the tour that will begin with four days in Beijing. From there, tour participants will travel to several cities throughout China, including Xi'an, Chengdu, and ShangLi. The full itinerary and a list of frequently asked questions can be accessed at www.gladneyasia.org. All families with children adopted from China are invited to be part of this trip. It is possible for older, mature children to attend the trip unaccompanied by a parent.

If you are interested in participating, talk with your family today and start making plans! The best time to purchase international plane tickets for this trip to China will be during the months of September and October. So, dust off your passports and get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

 

For more information please contact Gongzhan Wu at gongzhan.wu@gladney.org.

Teen Service Trips Provide Lifelong Lessons

Community Service hours are a requirement these days for teens, whether for school, scouts or religious education. From serving meals at a local soup kitchen to traveling to foreign countries and helping local people, the lessons teens learn are both rewarding and lifelong.

Gladney has had a number of opportunities for adoptees to give back to the adoption community, including one recent Teen Service Trip to Colombia that Gladney President, Frank Garrott wrote about in his blog. Click here to read Frank's blog and see wonderful trip photos.