Gladney Asia Program 2014 Calendar!

 

 This year with your help we put together a 2014 calendar! This calendar features beautiful photos of children that have been adopted through Gladney's Asia Program. We wanted to say a special thank you to families that sent in photos. Unfortunately, we could not use all of the photos we received due to size and pixel restraints on the calendar software. We also decided to use "kid-only" photos for all of the months. However, we still wish to use all of the photos we received in future monthly newsletters.

Calendars will be on sale for $12, and all additional donations will help support Superkids Charity. We are so excited about this, and hope that you are too! If you are interested, please download the order form, and mail it back to me at Gladney's New York office. If you have any additional questions regarding the 2014 calendar, please contact wendy.stanley@gladney.org.

Click on this link to download the calendar order form: 2014 Calendar Order Form

Gladney 2014 Chinese New Year Parties- Save the date!

  Februrary 8th, 2014 in Fort Worth, Texas

February 9th, 2014 in New York, NY

  

The upcoming year is the Year of the Horse!

 

 

Gladney Staff Celebrates Boys

 

"I am in love with my little boy, Toby! As a brand new mom I can't get enough of my baby boy's snuggles, squeaks and funny faces. I am getting to know his sweet personality more and more each day and watching him grow and learn is such a joy. I am already imagining the future with our little guy as he grows up - I hope he loves soccer as much as his daddy! Life has changed so much, but I can't imagine our family without our cuddly, beautiful boy!"     

 -April Uduhiri, Asia Programs Caseworker   

 

 

"One of the most important "boys" in my life is my big brother Jym. Jym is three years older than me and my only older sibling. While he picked on me relentlessly at times growing up (and sometimes still does), I'm pretty grateful that I grew up with a big brother. I knew, and still know, that he would always have my back. I've always felt proud being able to tell people that Jym is my brother. I learned so much from Jym - how to be an individual, how to stand up for myself, and how to be a genuinely good person. I love my sisters too, but there's something special about having a big brother!"

-Mary Chapman, Asia Programs Caseworker

 

Superkids

 

 

30 Boys in 30 Days Campaign

 

Each week Gladney Staff gets together for our Waiting Child Staffing Meeting.  This is probably our most important meeting of the week.  It is at these meetings that we get to step away from our computers and phones and bring our staff together to give our attention to the Waiting Children.  We know we owe it to these kids to give them the attention they deserve without the distractions of other obligations and To-Do lists.  Each meeting comes to life in its own way - with good news about recent matches, stories from our staff about families who have recently arrived home, and brainstorming to find new ways to advocate for some of the children who have not yet been matched with a family. Since November is Adoption Awareness Month - we really wanted to focus hard on helping some of our children find a family.  As our meeting progressed, we all knew what we wanted to do - put our extra efforts and attentions this month toward the many boys who need a family, thus was born our 30 Boys in 30 Days Campaign.

 

In a family these boys can do anything -- learn about volcanoes, trains, go camping, do rainbow loom(!), dress up as a power rangers for Halloween, and, of course, get into their fair share of mischief - as all healthy and happy boys (and girls) do from time to time!

  

During the month of November we will feature a unique child, who happens to be a boy, on our Asia Waiting Child Blog.  Please visit often and send your best wishes and prayers throughout the month to help each little guy find his family.  Many of these boys were seen by our Superkids Team this summer in China -- Stories can be found on the Superkids Blog.

 

Featured Today, Addison

 

Taiwan Update

We are excited to welcome families from Families and Children's Agency (FCA) into our Taiwan Cathwel program!  With the assistance of Cathwel's staff, Gladney was able to smoothly transition families without disrupting their adoption process with Cathwel.  It was wonderful having a chance to meet many of the FCA families at Gladney's October Pathways training! 

 

More good news from Cathwel! - In October, one of our long waiting families in the Cathwel program was presented with a referral of a 17 month old boy!  Congratulations to the family!

 

In Gladney's Taiwan adoption program, we currently have 6 families with accepted referrals at various stages of the dossier prep/PAIR and court processes.  One of the families will be travelling in December -- and the remaining five families should all be home with their children throughout the spring and summer months!

 

 



Tanner, adopted through the Cathwel program this summer,
 celebrates his brother Tyler's wedding!

 

In October we were notified by Cathwel and Chung Yi about several waiting children who are in need of forever families.  The children vary in age and needs.  We feel this is an indication that the agencies in Taiwan have had time to adjust to the new system that has evolved with the introduction of child welfare and adoption legislation put in place over the past 2 years. We are expecting to see more children becoming available for international adoption within the coming months.

Boys Rock!

 

 

 

 

 

Boys Rock all the time- just in different ways at different stages! Of all the themes we could choose this month to celebrate adoption- this is what we have decided to celebrate- Simply, that BOYS ROCK!! Why this theme? Because it is both sad and hard to believe that simply being born a boy, is one of the reasons that a child may become part of a Waiting Child program or be designated as "special needs". So please check www.asiawaitingchild@wordpress.com daily during the month of November, and help us bring these boys to their families!

Happy Halloween!

 

"There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch."

-Robert Brault

(1938-present)

American author

When Your Child First Notices Race

We recently came across an article in Adoptive Families Magazine that we thought would be helpful to share: 'How Do You Make Sure Your Child Feels Good About Herself?'. The article was written by Julia Chin who adopted her daughter as an infant from China. 

 

One day Julia's four-year-old daughter came home from preschool in tears. A classmate had pulled up the corners of his eyes and said, 'Your eyes are like this!'"My daughter was crushed," says Julia.  "Last year, Elizabeth had no clue about race or being different. Now she talks about it all the time."  Julia's experience is not atypical for Caucasian parents who adopt transracially. As parents, we want to do all we can to instill a positive sense of racial identity in our children. To read more here.

Gladney Family Support Group in TX

Heath and Katie Bonner have been married for 17 years and have four children.  They will be leading this week’s Gladney Family Support Group Meeting where the topic will be: SIBLING ADJUSTMENT!

 

Child care will be provided. To RSVP for childcare please call or email Joy Barnes (joy.barnes@gladney.org or 817.922.5993).

 

Thursday, August 8, 2013 from 6:30pm-8:30pm in Mabee Hall, Fort Worth, TX.

It's a Small World!

Gladney Families within one family!!  Recently, the Skinner Family and Witt Family met for the first time at a family reunion, not realizing they belong to the same large family!  While chatting at lunch, it was discovered both families are Gladney families and have children from Taiwan! The two families had great fun sharing Mr. Yeh stories, stories of their travels and their adoption journeys.  The highlight....watching the boys play together!!!!  

We have so many great advocates among our families!

As the Superkids Team wraps up their latest trip to China, during which they saw over 100 children waiting for forever families, we thought it would be a wonderful time to bring your attention to the blogs of families who have adopted or are adopting through the Guang Ming Program (Waiting Child). Family blogs can be accessed through Gladney's Website in the China Adoption Blogs section.

Empowered to Connect Conference in Houston-September 13 - 14, 2013

"Led by Dr. Karyn Purvis (Director of the TCU Institute of Child Development) together with Michael & Amy Monroe (Leaders of Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Ministry), this conference is ideal for adoptive and foster parents, those considering adoption or foster care and those who are serving and supporting others, including social workers, agency professionals, church staff and ministry leaders, counselors, therapists and others involved in adoption and foster care ministries or services.

Conference sessions will be held from 9am-5pm on both days. Light refreshments will be provided during breaks throughout the event, with “on your own” lunch breaks scheduled from 12-1:30pm. All participants are highly encouraged to attend sessions on both days. Professionals may be eligible to receive continuing education credit for their participation."

-From the Show Hope website

This conference is ideal for adoptive parents and those considering adoption. Click here to learn more.

Is It An Adoption Thing?

 Webinar  - Wednesday, August 7, 2013

7:00 PM Central, Q&A 8:00 PM

Are you struggling to decide if your child's challenging behaviors are adoption related or just kid stuff? Because so many families face that difficult task, Adoption Learning Partners asked an expert to help! Join Dr. Gregory Keck as he helps parents understand the impact of adoption and trauma on child development. Common challenging behaviors, how to manage behaviors, and effective (and ineffective) parenting tools will be discussed. Register here.

What No One Ever Told Me About Special Needs Adoption: Loving Our Perfect Child

  

Adopting several children from China has been a joy-filled, faith-building, abundant adventure. We have four biological children and feel as though we are experienced parents. However, sometimes even experienced parents can find that they are not adequately prepared for some issues.

During November of 2006, we decided that we would pursue a special needs child on a waiting child list. Our agency diligently prepared us for parenting a child with special needs....

Here is a list of items that no social worker ever prepared us for:

1. No one ever told us that when we had our adopted "special needs" daughter evaluated by an occupational therapist, that she would be 6-months ahead of her typically developing two-armed peers in motor development

2. No one ever told me that at age 2, she would figure out how to climb to the top of a bunk bed with her one arm just to admire her brother's trophies on a high shelf.

3. No one ever told me that she would be only 19 pounds but have the desire, tenacity, and strength of a Super Bowl bound football team.

- Tamera Wong - Rainbow Kids

To read the rest of this article and the remainder of this inspiring list, click here.

Gladney Cup

The Gladney Cup Golf Tournament is a world-class, PGA style charitable golf related event benefiting The Gladney Center for Adoption. It is held every-other year on one of the most beautiful, prestigious golf courses in the nation. This year's event will take place on Monday, September 23, 2013, on the famed Merion Golf Club East Course in Ardmore, PA.

Click here for more information.

Monkey: Journey to the West

Last night, several Gladney Asia staff attended Chen Shi-Zheng’s Monkey: Journey to the West at New York City’s Lincoln Center. The performance is an adaptation of Journey to the West, one of the four great classics novels of Chinese literature. It was a very exciting and interesting performance which used mixed media, including music, animation, acrobatics and martial arts to tell the compelling story of the Monkey King’s quest for immortality. The music was a blend of Chinese traditional opera and electronic pop, and the use of color, elaborate stage props and acrobatic performances were very reminiscent of shows that can be seen in China. Although the traditional Chinese themes in the show were the highlights, there were moments of humor that seemed to be able to cross cultural boundaries and were enjoyed by all!

Thinking about Adoption? Have you considered a Waiting Child?

When my husband and I first started our adoption process, these children were referred to as Special Needs which can be a scary term.

But what if instead we called them "Waiting Children"? Doesn't sound as intimidating, right, and it is the truth as well! Furthermore, what if we thought of "Special Needs" kids as "special", amazing children in "need" of or waiting for a forever family?... 

When our caseworker mentioned reviewing a special needs list, we looked at each and said, "we don't think so", but God had other plans. He began to work in our hearts and brought people into our lives who had adopted children from China on the waiting child list and showed us that He had a completely different plan than we were thinking of for our adopted child. Read more.

New Adoption Law

On July 14, 2014, a new law goes into effect requiring all agencies and persons providing adoption services in Hague Convention and Orphan cases to be accredited, approved, super­vised or exempted under the Hague accreditation regulations.  The U.S. Department of State designated the Council on Accreditation (COA) as the entity responsible for accrediting/approving adoption service providers in intercountry adoption. 

Gladney Center, as a Hague accredited agency, is in compliance with this law. 

 

For more information about the UAA, see the Department of State’s notice of January 15, 2014, The Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 becomes law and our FAQs on universal accreditation. 

Get involved with your local GFA!

The summer fun continues... check out the GFA sponsored events planned for July and August - pool parties, play groups, potlucks and more will be taking place around the country to bring families together to enjoy each other's company and the beautiful weather!

Click here for the GFA Network's Event Calendar to learn what is happening in your area!

 

If you would like to learn more about opportunities to volunteer your time with your local GFA board, please contact the GFA Director of volunteers: Wendy Lee at

wendy.lee@gladney.org. Volunteers can help in a variety of ways. The new GFA season will kick-off in the Fall with a calendar of events specific to each local region. It is a great way to meet other families and make a difference!  

Thoughts about Sharing and Connecting

For almost two years now, I have had the privilege to work with the Gladney Asia staff on communications by creating a monthly newsletter and maintaining the program's blogsites. It has been such a pleasure getting to know the staff and experiencing first hand, their passion for adoption! Each month, we have enjoyed working collaboratively to publish adoption related articles and news, helpful resources and most importantly, adoption announcements and photos! 

Gladney and the Gladney Family Association strive to keep families involved and informed, providing a resource for parenting needs from before placement through young adulthood. There is so much wonderful information about adoption, parenting and heritage celebration that it is always exciting selecting the contents for our readers. It is our hope that our outreach and communications serve all Gladney Asia families, from those who are waiting, through those who adopted 15 or more years ago.

  

After publishing this summer newsletter, I will pass along this role to others so that I have more time as our oldest daughter prepares to apply for college! However, as I wrote in the article last month "The Benefits of Staying Connected", I will remain in contact with the Gladney Asia staff, complete some projects we have been planning and continue to assist Gongzhan with the custom China Heritage Tours.

- Lydia Macci

Gladney's Waiting Child website has been re-launched!

A Child to Love is now available to families who are interested in domestic or international adoption. Profile information of children waiting to be adopted can be accessed with varying levels of detail. The levels of access allow Gladney to present relevant child information, but also make sure the child's information is kept secure.

Recent Taiwan Adoption News

June was a busy month for our Taiwan program - we had three families travel to complete the adoption of their amazing children! 

The Lancaster family welcomed 5 year old Ying-Tzu with open arms! The whole family spent two weeks in Taiwan getting to experience Ying-Tzu's birth country, but Ying-Tzu was most excited to get home and see her new room and toys! 

Chris and Jennifer welcomed Caiden home! Big brother Liam was excitedly awaiting their arrival in New York City! 

Michael and Hui-Min came home to Texas last week with their twin boys David and Samuel! These 4 year olds will definitely keep these new parents busy!

We are also happy to announce that one of our families received a referral this month of a healthy two year little girl! Another family was alerted that they will likely be traveling in July to complete the adoption of their son in time for his eighth birthday! 

New York GFA named GFA of the year!

This year, Gladney staff chose the New York Metro Gladney Family Association (GFA) as the Legacy Blanket 2013 WINNER!

Sarah Krikstone, along with the New York GFA, worked with passion and commitment to host several events for families to share and connect with each other. This year, two great new activities were offered: Family Day at Greenwich Beach and a sleepover event at the Intrepid Museum. Due to their overwhelming success, these will become annual events! 

If you would like to learn more about opportunities to volunteer your time with your local GFA board, please contact the GFA Director of volunteers: Wendy Lee at

wendy.lee@gladney.org.

STUCK Update

Last month members of Gladney’s Asia Program Staff and Gladney families and friends went to a screening of the documentary STUCK, which was introduced in an earlier post. The goal of the documentary is to inspire viewers to become involved in the social movement that will ultimately put pressure on U.S. officials to force a more supportive attitude toward International Adoption. As part of this movement, a Gladney mom, Jane Hoffman attended a march in Washington D.C.

"... I traveled to Washington DC to participate in the March for Orphans sponsored by Bothendsburning.org. We met up with Gladney President and CEO, Frank Garrott and met tons of other families, many of whom are in the midst of stalled adoptions around the world. We also met with our Congressman and Senate staffers to urge them to support upcoming legislation that will reinvigorate international adoption. This is just the beginning if you want to get involved - there are lots of ways to help!"

            -Jane Hoffman, Gladney mom