JCICS 37th Annual Child Welfare Symposium

As always, Joint Council’s (JCICS) 37th Annual Child Welfare Symposium was a great time of connecting with other adoption professionals and participating in educational sessions.  The speakers were thought-provoking and engaging and I came away from the sessions feeling like I had learned something important.

Martha Osborne

For me, the highlight of the conference was hearing Martha Osborne speak about the advocacy she does for children through her website, Rainbowkids (rainbowkids.com)  Martha is very likely, the most well-known advocate for children with special needs who are waiting to be adopted.  I was blown away by how long she has carried this passion and what she has done to help children find families!  Martha is committed to working with agencies to advocate for these special children and I am excited for Gladney and Rainbow Kids to continue to partner together to become a bigger voice for children who desperately need forever families!

April Uduhiri, Asia Program Case Worker

Superkids is preparing to return to China next month!

The Superkids team will be visiting six orphanages in three provinces.  We will visit Shanghai Children's Home, four orphanages in the Jiangxi province and one orphanage in the Hunan province.  The team will evaluate children to assist them in finding adoptive families and work with children who may not be adopted so that we can improve their quality of life.  We will also train caregivers and rehabilitation staff to increase the skill of their therapeutic interactions with all children they care for.

Superkids Team Pat, Erin and Darla

As always, Gongzhan Wu, Gladney Vice President and Managing Director of the Asia Program, will lead the trip.  Superkids team members will include: Darla Wrage, MD, a pediatrician making her first therapeutic trip to China (read her bio on the Superkids blog); Erin Martin, waiting child advocate and Gladney Mom; and Pat Marcus, Physical Therapist. Superkids is thrilled with, and appreciative of, the dedication and commitment shown by its volunteers.

  

Please be sure to follow our progress on the Superkids blog and share in the preparation for the trip!

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) came about when Congress passed a resolution in 1978 to designate a week to celebrate Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. During APAHM, communities celebrate the achievements and contributions of Asian and Pacific Americans with community festivals, government-sponsored activities and educational activities for students. Google Asian Pacific American Heritage Month or APAHM to learn more!

JCICS Conference May 20 - 22, 2013

Gladney’s New York Office staff will be attending the Joint Council’s (JCICS) 37th Annual Child Welfare Symposium. They will join over 200 leading professionals, researchers, and advocates in the field of child welfare, orphan care and adoption to learn about and discuss topics relating to child welfare and adoption.

Mary Chapman, Asia Programs Caseworker is enthused about attending the conference, “I am excited to meet with Martha Osborn, the founder of Rainbow Kids, as we’ve worked together over the last couple of years advocating for waiting children.  She always has great ideas about how to get the word out about the precious kids that are waiting for families!”

Over the course of three days, there will be numerous workshops to address the needs of children in Haiti, India, Ethiopia and China, as well as financial organizational empowerment, medical and nutritional issues, orphan care issues, and intercountry curricula. More information on these workshops can be found here. For more information about JCICS, please visit www.jointcouncil.org/.

Gladney GFA Picnics and Events

GFA sponsored picnics, pool parties, ball game outings and more will be taking place over the next few months throughout the country to bring families together to enjoy each other's company and the beautiful weather!

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

Stuck Screening in New York City - Inspiring!

On Thursday evening, May 9, members of Gladney’s Asia Program Staff and Gladney families and friends from the Tri-state area attended the screening of the documentary Stuck at the Chelsea Theater in New York City.  This moving film created by Both Ends Burning founder Craig Juntunen, is intended 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.

The ambitious 62 city bus tour in 80 days will culminate next week with a Step Forward for Orphans march in Washington, DC on Friday, May 17 at 1pm.  Click here to learn more about the Stuck initiative and the upcoming march.

Recently in Taiwan Adoption News:

In the Taiwan program, we welcomed home two children in April!  Cate joined big brother, Christian, mom, Amanda and dad, Mike in Missouri.  Yu-Chen joined mom, Lauren and dad, Stephen in North Carolina.  Congratulations to these two families.

"Amanda, Mike and baby Cate"

The court process continued to run smoothly for families - two families received their court hearing dates and one family received their final ruling and is currently in Taiwan finalizing the adoption of their son!

In our June newsletter we will be reviewing the Taiwan adoption process and children available for adoption in the context of legislative changes that took place over the last year.

Top 10 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew

Live Webinar Details

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

7:00PM Central 

Q&A: 8:00PM

Adopted people and adoptive parents don’t always look at adoption the same way. Many of the issues adoptees struggle with may be difficult for parents to understand and come to terms with. And it’s ever changing. A parent’s and a child’s adoption experiences change over time, based on life events, ability to understand the circumstances, and new facts as they become available or are discovered.

Understanding your child’s feelings about adoption is essential, so how do you gain some insight?

We’ve gathered a panel of adopted people, to discuss:

• What they wish their parents had known
• Their feelings about loss, shame and anger and their love for their parents
• What feelings they shared with their parents and what they kept to themselves

Register now

Co-Sponsors