October Country Update
We are happy to announce that two of our Ukraine families will be traveling within the next month! After painstaking efforts to do and re-do dossier documents, we congratulate these families that their hard work is paying off!
Tip for Families Traveling
In determining what type of clothing to pack, make sure to look nice at all times, including visiting the orphanage and at meetings. See the entire process like a job interview. Although comfy and casual is accepted pretty much everywhere in the U.S., most European cultures have a higher standard of dress and appearance. Our Representative writes, “There were several comments made to me by orphanage staff recently about families who looked sloppy, wore dirty clothing, forgot to brush their hair, etc. The kids in the orphanage told the child who was being adopted by these parents, ‘Look- these people look like they are homeless themselves- where are they taking you?’” For SDA, CPS, court and first orphanage meetings you should dress up even more and look professional. If you have any questions feel free to contact your Referral Counselor!
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CAN’s Poland representative has recently presented us with several new files of Waiting Children. These are up on our Waiting Child website. I encourage everyone to view these sweet children’s profiles and advocate for them to your family and friends!
Typical Polish Food
As you prepare for your Poland adoption, familiarize yourself with foods that are part of the life-blood of the Polish people. Your adopted child will appreciate some common comfort foods that are typically eaten in Poland when he or she is in a new place. The following dishes are taken from the website below, which has other recommendations and information on customs, holidays, and gifts!
http://www.polishpresents.com/Polish_Food.html
Bigos
Bigos is a traditional stew (Hunter’s Stew) and is considered to be the national dish of Poland. There are many different recipes and they may vary from region to region. Typically, Bigos includes sauerkraut, various meats and sausages, tomatoes, honey and mushrooms. For meats, you can have bacon, beef, pork, ham or veal. Bigos is considered a “perpetual stew” which means it can be kept in a pot for a week or more. The taste of this stew actually intesifies each time it is reheated.
Pierogi
Pierogi are boiled dumplings stuffed with varying ingredients. After they are boiled, they are fried with butter and finely chopped onions. They can be filled with potato and cheese, mushrooms, and even fruit.
Wild Mushroom Soup
A hearty soup made with mushrooms.
Golabki
Cabbage rolls wrapped around minded pork or beef meat, chopped onions and rice. They are usually baked with a spicey tomato sauce.
Children in Families First Act of 2013 (CHIFF) Introduced in the Senate Today!
Children Need Families. We Need Your Voice!
As you know, every day, all over the world, more children find themselves living without families – on the streets, in orphanages, in refugee camps. By some estimates, there are now 200 million orphans in the world. But the U.S. Government, through our foreign policy and programming, is not helping to turn this around.
Americans know that family is the bedrock of any society, and that children need the permanent love, care, and protection of a family to grow into healthy, productive adults. Although U.S. foreign policy in theory emphasizes preserving or creating safe, permanent families for children through family reunification, kinship care, domestic or intercountry adoption, the structures and coordination are not there to make it happen. We need change, and NCFA believes this legislation will get us on the right path.
It seeks to redirect a portion of the funds the U.S. currently spends on children living abroad toward ensuring that all children grow up in a family. It restructures the way intercountry adoption is more appropriately placing an office in the Department of State, providing clear direction to not just regulate, but advocate for children in families, and a better balance of adoption support and administration between Department of State and USCIS. (For more detail see the attached, complete legislation.)
Adoption Service Providers can play a key role in helping to make this happen. Tell your stories. Explain your concerns. As trusted experts in this professional community, your voices will be valuable in explaining to congress and the public why this matters.
Here are specific ways you can get involved.
- Call your Members of Congress! Ask them to cosponsor the Children in Families First Act of 2013 (S.1530). Let them know that you want your government to make a family for every child a priority!
- Connect with Congress online. Social media allows you to directly connect with your elected officials.
- Visit your members of Congress or their staff.
- Email a letter to your 3 Members of Congress.
- Be a part of the community! Like CHIFF on Facebook and Twitter!
To learn more, please regularly visit: www.childreninfamiliesfirst.org
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