11 Days Left to Give Back
The new year is right around the corner, and there are only 11 DAYS LEFT to donate to CAN’s 2016 Haiti Holidays Donation Drive!
We have been so blown away by the generosity we’ve seen throughout the community, as our families and friends have come together to contribute to this cause. We have already sent one shipment to Haiti, and we are eagerly awaiting the moment when we get to send the rest of the supplies that our families have provided us with!
Each of the orphanages in Haiti that CAN is partnered with have provided us with a list of items that they’re in need of (see below). Our donation drive will be ending on January 1st. If you’re interested in contributing, please send one of the requested items or a gift card to Children of All Nations.
Thank you for supporting our Haiti Holidays Donation Drive!
Items requested:
– Toothpaste
– Diapers (all sizes)
– Formula
– Clothes (For older boys and girls)
– Underwear (all size)
– Bar Soap
– Baby Powder
– Powered Milk
– Deodorant
– Baby Oil
– Shampoo
– Blankets
– Hair Accessories
– Vaseline
– Gift Cards
Items can be mailed to:
Children of All Nations
ATTN: Hilary
248 Addie Roy Road A102
Austin, Tx 78746
Light eyes, light hair, dark past.
After visiting Poland to meet with our in country representatives earlier this year, our CAN matching specialist, Hilary, has been hard at work advocating to help their Waiting Children find families. While many families in the United States are open to adopting older children, sibling groups and children with medical needs, other countries often believe that these children will wait forever. Below is the latest post from our Poland matching specialist about children who are currently looking for their families. If you’re interested in learning more about our Poland Waiting Child adoption program, contact Hilary@childrenofallnations.com today!
“Meet Peter. He is 2 years old and has Down Syndrome. It will be hard to find him a family but we truly wish someone will move forward with him.”
“Meet Jacob. He is 2 years old and has Down Syndrome. He is a very cute little boy but are any of your families open to Downs?
“Meet McKinley, Kennedy, and David. A sibling group of 3. They are very sweet children but will families move forward with three?”
The phrases you see above are some of the phrases we often hear in an adoption agency from other countries. The resources we have for various needs are not the same in other countries and they find it hard to believe that American families WANT to adopt sibling groups and children with special needs. Countries like Poland are astonished when I continue asking for files of children with HIV, Downs, and sibling groups.
This right here is where the advocacy starts. This right here is where WE make a change. These children need forever families and even though they are beautiful in their photos don’t you want to learn more about their history too?
Together we can make their future light instead of pattering their dark past.
5 Steps to Begin Your Journey
1. Talk to our Matching Specialists
GWCA and CAN’s matching specialists are here to help you find an adoption program that’s right for your family. Contact us today to take advantage of our free adoption consultation offer and speak directly to one of our adoption specialists!
(512)323-9595 | info@childrenofallnations.com
2. Review Your Eligibility
Each country that GWCA and CAN work with has its own set of eligibility requirements. These eligibility requirements are put in place by the countries themselves, and not by GWCA or CAN. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility for a specific country or you would like to speak to a matching specialist about your eligibility, contact us today!
Here are links to some of the eligibility requirements for GWCA and CAN’s top programs:
3. Consider Your Adoption Parameters
One of the most important steps to beginning your adoption journey is figuring out what your open to in terms of your adopted child’s age range, gender, and possible special needs. Often, the more open a family is in their adoption parameters, the quicker they’ll receive a match!
4. Learn more about GWCA and CAN’s Waiting Children
If your family is open to adopting an older child, a child with needs, or a sibling group of two or more, our Waiting Child adoption programs might be right for you! Many of our Waiting Child adoption programs provide families the chance to play a role in the matching process, and often you can be matched right away!
Learn more about GWCA and CAN’s Waiting Child adoption programs.
5. Apply Today!
Once you’ve found the program that ‘s right for you, the first step is go submit your application!
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Family Milestones – Bulgaria Adoption
Several of the families in our Bulgaria adoption program have recently reached very exciting milestones in their adoption processes. While for some, this milestone is just the first of many, others are nearing the final leg of their adoption journey and preparing to welcome their child home forever!
One Step Forward for Kirk
Kirk, one of the incredible kiddos that our CAN team met while they were in Bulgaria earlier this year, has been waiting a very long time to find his Forever Family. When our team first entered the room to meet with him, in fact, he was convinced that they were going to bring him home right then and there. This truly touched our CAN team’s hearts, and they were determined to help him find his family. Now, just a few short months later, one of the families in our Bulgaria Waiting Child adoption program has begun submitting their paperwork to be matched with him!
Four Sisters Matched
We just received news that one of the families in our Bulgaria Waiting Child adoption program has officially been matched with a sibling group of FOUR sisters! These adorable young ladies range in age from 8 to 16 years old, and have been waiting for a family for a very long time. We are so incredibly happy for them and their new Forever Family as they take one step closer to being united!
Family Traveling for Bonding Trip
Another one of the families in our Bulgaria Waiting Child adoption program is currently packing their bags and preparing to travel to Bulgaria this weekend for their bonding trip! This family has been matched with yet another sibling group of four kiddos – two boys and two girls. These four siblings are so excited to meet their new family, and even drew a photo (shown above) including their new mom, dad, and little brother!
Coming Home!
Lastly, we have one family from our Bulgaria adoption program that is preparing to travel for their final trip to bring their daughter home FOREVER! This particular family was matched with their daughter through our traditional Bulgaria adoption program, and they were overjoyed when they received their referral. We can’t wait to see them come home and we are so excited to continue following their journey!
We are so happy for each and every one of these families as they take one step forward in their adoption journey. Congratulations from all of us at GWCA and CAN! If you’re interested in learning more about CAN’s Bulgaria adoption program, visit the Bulgaria page on our website, contact our CAN matching specialists, or visit our Waiting Child photo listing to see children that we’re currently advocating for.
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The Bulgaria Matching Process
Last month during our CAN team’s trip to Bulgaria, they had the opportunity to meet with the incredible men and women who represent our agency in-country. CAN is currently partnered with two different NGOs in Bulgaria, each of which plays a vital role in our Waiting Child adoption program. One team of representatives is pictured here, wearing our TEAM CAN t-shirts!
Our Bulgaria Waiting Child adoption program has grown so much in the past year, and we are looking forward to seeing this growth continue as even more Waiting Children will be coming this year!
Why does CAN love Bulgaria?
One of the many things that makes our Bulgaria Waiting Child adoption program so unique is the matching process. Unlike many adoption programs where families receive a referral based on the age range, gender and needs that they specify, our Bulgaria Waiting Child program provides them with the chance to play a role in their matching process. This program is also very open to families in terms of eligibility requirements, and offers a relatively quick process from the moment you apply till the day you bring your child home forever!
How does the matching process work?
Every two months, CAN’s in-country representatives attend a distribution meeting where they are able to select files. Throughout this process, they keep any current families’ adoption desires in mind with the hope that they will see a child or sibling group that might be a good fit for them.
Once CAN receives these children’s files we begin to advocate on their behalf, both with current families and with families who request their file from our Waiting Child photo listing. One thing to keep in mind about the matching process for this program is that families can be matched with a child at ANY point in the process. This means even if you find your child before you’ve begun submitting paperwork, we can submit a request for you to be matched with them!
Waiting Children
CAN is currently advocating for several children and sibling groups from Bulgaria with the hope that they will each find a loving family. Visit our Waiting Child photo listing today to view their profiles or request their full medical files!
Resources
- Contact our Bulgaria matching specialist to learn more about our Waiting Child adoption program
- Visit our Bulgaria adoption page
CAN Has a New Look!
In the midst of National Adoption Month, we are so excited to announce the launch of our NEW website design! This change has been underway for the past few months, and we are so happy to share that each site (GWCA, CAN, Orphan Hosting and Student Ambassador Exchange) has now made the transition.
What’s new?
The Appearance
The site has a new clean cut appearance, but don’t worry, the content is all still there! So whether you’re looking for information on one of our programs, reading our latest blog posts, or visiting our photo listing to request a child’s file, love the speed and convenience of the new layout!
Browse On-The-Go!
It’s now easier than ever to browse our websites on your cell phone or tablet! The new layout adjusts to the size of your screen so you don’t have to worry about zooming in or out to find the right tab.
Sign up for our newsletter!
If you’re interested in receiving emails from GWCA, CAN, Orphan Hosting and SAE, you can now sign up by simply scrolling to the bottom of one of our home pages and entering your email address!
While our newsletters are a great way to stay in the loop with our adoption programs, we encourage any families that are ready to begin their journey to contact our matching specialists directly. You can do this by filling out a contact form, emailing info@childrenofallnations.com, or calling us at (512)323-9595.
Take a look around:
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A Look Inside Poland
The Trip
One month ago our CAN team was wrapping up their trip to Poland and Bulgaria and preparing to head back to the United States. They were in Eastern Europe for two weeks, during which time they had the chance to meet with in-country representatives, and visit adoption centers and orphanages to meet some of the incredible children who are in need of families. These program development trips are always bittersweet. There’s so much we can learn, and so much progress that can be made, however, they’re emotionally exhausting.
Working for an international adoption agency, the concept of adoption is something we’re all very passionate about. We talk to families every day to walk them through the process, give them updates, and prepare them for the transition of welcoming a new family member into their home. But when you meet a child who has been waiting for years, you walk through their orphanage, and you see them holding on to hope that a family will come for them soon, it gives a whole new meaning to child advocacy.
The Children
During her time in Poland, our CAN matching specialist, Hilary, met many children and sibling groups who are in need of Forever Families. While there are some older healthy children who are waiting, there is a great need for families who are open to children with special needs – specifically HIV and Down syndrome.
If your family is open to adopting a child with a need such as HIV or Down syndrome, our CAN matching specialists would be happy to talk to you about our Poland program. Many of the children with these needs that Hilary met in Poland were as young as 1 year old!
A Look Inside Poland
This video below shows several photos from our CAN team’s trip to Poland, including orphanages they visited, children they met.
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Why CAN Loves Haiti
While all of our adoption programs are near and dear to our hearts, there are always certain programs, children, or countries that each of our matching specialists feel a special connection to. Hilary, one of our CAN matching specialists, has always had an incredible passion for Haiti. We asked her to share with us a little bit about where her passion for Haiti comes from:
Since a very young age I always told my mom that I really wanted to go to Haiti. My mom never really understood why I was so drawn to this country and as I got older that passion continued to grow and a trip that I had always dreamed about going on turned into also wanting to adopt. The more I learned about Haiti the more my devotion developed for the country, the people, and of course, the children. I began researching a variety of ways that I could get involved, take a trip, and do more. This ended up leading me into my current role as an International Adoption Counselor and working directly with Haiti. Who would have thought! I was finally able to take my first trip to Haiti this past February and as the plane descended for touch down and I could finally see the country tears began streaming down my face. This was a moment I had dreamed about for so long and to finally be here; well I found myself speechless. This country has been through so much and with the lack of education, resources, and jobs Haiti tends to be left in a state of struggle. But, even with all they go without the people and the children have such a joyous spirit that you can feel almost everywhere you go. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I truly believe that Haiti and its people are breathtakingly beautiful.In February of 2016, Hilary was part of a team with CAN that traveled to Haiti to visit the orphanages that we’re partnered with, bringing all of the donations that we had received for Haiti Holidays. Below is a video from her time in Haiti. If you’re interested in contributing to this year’s Haiti Holidays donation drive or if you would like to learn more about our Haiti adoption program, contact Hilary at hilary@childrenofallnations.com today!
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Haiti Holidays Donation Drive
Children of All Nations is delighted to announce the launch of our 2nd annual Haiti Holidays donation drive!
The holidays are a time for gratitude and a time for giving, so we would like to take this opportunity to give back. Our Haiti Holidays donation drive was started to help to raise funds and supplies for the orphanages in Haiti that CAN is partnered with. Last year we were overjoyed by the response we received from families, and we are hoping that we will be able to provide the same support to our orphanages this year!
Each of the orphanages that we work with in Haiti have provided us with a list of the supplies that they are currently in need of. If you would like to make a contribution, you can send any of the items listed below, send a gift card, or purchase one of our Haiti Holiday t-shirts using this link: https://www.booster.com/haiti-holidays-donation-drive.
All proceeds from Haiti Holidays will be given to our partner orphanages in Haiti.
Items requested:
– Toothpaste
– Diapers (all sizes)
– Formula
– Clothes (For older boys and girls)
– Underwear (all size)
– Bar Soap
– Baby Powder
– Powered Milk
– Deodorant
– Baby Oil
– Shampoo
– Blankets
– Hair Accessories
– Vaseline
– Gift Cards
Items can be mailed to:
Children of All Nations
ATTN: Hilary
248 Addie Roy Road A102
Austin, Tx 78746
Two New Haiti Referrals
We are so happy to announce that one of the families in our Haiti adoption program has just received referrals for TWO children! This is such an incredible milestone in their adoption journey, and we are so glad that we get to share in their excitement as they prepare to travel for their bonding trip. Congratulations and safe travels from all of us at Children of All Nations!
Is your family interested in learning more about CAN’s Haiti adoption program? Each of our international adoption programs are unique, and our matching specialists are always happy to speak to families to help them find the one that’s the perfect fit. Whether you’re looking for a program with younger healthy kiddos or Waiting Children, our Haiti program could be right for you! Visit our Haiti adoption page or contact our CAN matching specialists today to learn more.