Welcome Home!
We are THRILLED to announce that another family in our Philippines adoption program has just returned home with their kiddo! After hosting their child last year, they have been anxiously awaiting this reunion, and we are so happy that the time has come! Congratulations from all of us at GWCA and CAN, and welcome home!
Philippines Hosting
We are currently matching for our upcoming winter Philippines Hosting program. This program is available to families living in Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York and New Jersey. If you live and one of these states and are interested in opening your heart and your home to host a child or sibling group this winter, contact shannon@gwca.org today!
Due to the privacy policies that the Philippines has in place, we are unable to share photos of the host kiddos here. If you’re interested in viewing their profiles, visit our Orphan Hosting Photo Listing using the link below!
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Sibling Group of Four Comes Home!
We’re so delighted to share that a sibling group of FOUR kiddos has recently come home from the Philippines! These kiddos range in age from 4 to 13 years old. As a larger sibling group, their files were on the Philippines Special Home Finding list, meaning their new Forever Family was able to request to be matched with them specifically! Congratulations to these amazing kiddos and their new Forever Family from all of us at Children of All Nations!
One More Kiddo Coming Home Next Week!
Another one of the families in our Philippines adoption program will be bringing their child home within the next week! After hosting their kiddo last year through CAN’s Orphan Hosting program, they have been anxiously awaiting the moment that they are able to reunite, and bring their child home forever. We are so happy that this moment has come for them, and our thoughts are with them as they reach the next leg of their adoption journey!
Philippines Adoption
Children of All Nations has three different Philippines adoption programs, a Waiting Child program, a Healthy Track, and a Relative Adoption program.
Healthy Track Adoption
Each year we are given a limited number of spots to fill for the Healthy Track program, and we are now accepting applications! If your family is interested in learning how you can adopt a medically healthy child from the Philippines, contact our CAN Matching Specialists to learn how you can get started today! In this program, families must be open to adopting a child of either gender. Additionally, while there is a possibility of being matched with a child as young as 2.5 years old, we ask that families are open to at least age 5.
Waiting Child Program
Our Philippines Waiting Child program provides families with the opportunity to look for their child on what is referred to as the “Special Homes Findings List.” This is a list of children that are considered more difficult to place based on their age, their special need, or the fact that they are a part of a sibling group of two or more. Families in this program do not necessarily have to be open to either gender, making it a great option for families that feel strongly about being matched with a child of a specific gender.
Relative Adoption
If you currently have a family member that is living in the Philippines and is in need of adoption, CAN may be able to help! Contact our Philippines Matching Specialist today to learn more!
Philippines Orphan Hosting Program – Photo Listing NOW Available!
Our Philippines Program is currently open to families in Texas, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and New York. If you live in one of these states and are interested in learning how you can host an orphan this Winter, contact our hosting coordinators at shannon@gwca.org today! Our photo listing is now available!
– Click here to view our Philippines Orphan Hosting Photo Listing –
Resources
*For privacy purposes, the image used is a stock photo.
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Below is the latest blog post from our CAN matching specialist, Hilary! Visit her blog to read more about her trip to Haiti to meet with our in-country representatives and visit the orphanages that we’re partnered with!
I Spy.
Take a moment and study this picture. What do you see? What really stands out? Immediately I noticed the serene blue water in the back, the ships ready to sail out to sea, the blue sky, the man on his motorcycle and the green trees. But then I start to look closer and I see a tarp covering a small building being used as a roof, the many umbrellas lining the street as vendors try and make a daily wage, a tap tap carrying passengers and many buildings. I could probably continue to stare at this photo and find more and more things that did not initially stand out to me but my point to this blog post is this…We travel to these countries, adopt from these countries, and give back to these countries but sometimes we are not always aware of what is actually right in front of us.
Sometimes as we find ourselves getting caught in the hustle and bustle of working or trying to give back I think it is easy to forget the realities of the countries we are working in and/or adopting from. Countries like Haiti that have no infrastructure are striving everyday to rebuild their country from the earth quake, get a stable president, keep their families together, find a steady income and essentially survive. Unfortunately this is the reality. These are all of the things we need to make sure we are not forgetting. We should always try to see everything in the “picture” because this is also the education piece we need to be passing on to adopted children. The good and the hard side of where they came from. Haiti will always be their home, their birth country, and where their birth parents are but it will also be where they met their forever family for the very first time.
“He is mine in a way that he will never be hers, he is hers in a way that he will never be mine, and together, we are motherhood.”
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What an exciting time this has been for our families that are adopting from Africa, as we’ve recently received a total of six new referrals! One of these referrals is for a family in our Uganda adoption program, and the other five are for families in our Burundi adoption program. Congratulations from all of us at GWCA and CAN, as you’re one step closer to bringing your little ones home forever!
Our Burundi adoption program offers families a relatively quick matching process, fantastic in-country staff support, and the opportunity to be matched with a younger, medically healthy child. While the age of each child matched will vary, we have seen that most referrals are for children under age 5! If you’re interested in learning how you can join our Burundi adoption program, contact our CAN matching specialists today!
Children of All Nations’ child sponsorship program, Fostering Hope, helps provide opportunities for giving back to children in need through individual and program sponsorship. Sponsored children will receive monetary donations from individuals and families to support their orphanage or foster home care, nutrition, schooling, therapies and medical care based on their individual needs. Sponsors receive photos and updates on the child that they are sponsoring, and get to see firsthand the difference they are making.
If you’re interested in learning how you can sponsor a child, visit our Fostering Hope page today!
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Children of All Nations is currently accepting applications for our 2016 Philippines Healthy Track adoption program. If your family is interested in adopting a healthy child, this could be the perfect program for you! Below are 5 things about this program that we want our families to know. Contact our Matching Specialists, visit our website, or join our private Philippines Facebook group to learn more!
All referrals that families receive in this program are for medically healthy children! As a growing number of adoption programs are beginning to turn their focus towards Waiting Children, our Philippines Healthy Track program is a great option for families that feel a healthy child would be the best fit.
While we ask that families are open to at least age 5, it may be possible to be matched with a child as young as 2 and a half years old!
With the Philippines Healthy Track program, you are unable to specify a preferred gender, meaning you must be open to the possibility that you could be matched with either a girl or a boy. If you feel strongly about being matched with a child of a specific gender, we would encourage you to look into our Philippines Waiting Child program.
The Philippines Healthy Track adoption program is available to single applicants, however, they will be matched with a child between the ages of 9 and 15 years old. Contact our Matching Specialist to learn more!
Each year CAN is given a limited number of open spots for our Philippines Healthy Track adoption program. We have already begun filling our spots for 2016, and they’re filling up fast! If you’re interested in learning how you can claim your spot and begin your adoption journey, contact our Philippines Matching Specialist today!
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Our matching specialists recently added several new children to our CAN Waiting Child photo listing! Each of these children and sibling groups from Bulgaria, Haiti, and Burundi are hoping to find their Forever Families. Due to privacy policies for some of these programs, we are unable to post photos of the children here. If you’re interested in seeing their photos, viewing their files, or learning more about them, contact our CAN matching specialists today!
The G Triplets:
These three brothers have been nicknamed the “G Triplets” because all of their names start with the letter G. That’s not where their similarities end, however, as these three healthy brothers are about as close as can be. All 12 years old, the G Triplets told our representatives that their favorite colors are blue and yellow. They also stated that they’re all best friends, and they hope that one day they’ll all be teachers or pastors!
For more information about these amazing brothers, contact our Haiti Waiting Child adoption specialist, or
visit our photo listing to request their files!
Maxwell:
This sweet little 5 year old cannot wait to find his forever family. He told our in-country representatives that he is excited to have a mommy and daddy and is wondering when they are coming for him. Maxwell’s special needs include a shortened left lower limb but he can run and walk very well. He is also delayed but our reps say he is improving everyday! If you would like to learn more about Maxwell please reach out to our CAN team today!
Alena:
Alena is an adorable 3 year old who is in need of a loving Forever Family. Her caretakers describe her as an easy-going, sociable, curious, and tidy girl who is always interested in learning new things. While Alena is a part of our Bulgaria Waiting Child adoption program, she her needs are relatively minor and have for the most part corrected themselves. While she was diagnosed with infantile cerebral palsy, she is able to walk, run, and squat independently. She was also diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity, but wears glasses and is able to see. Alena is currently taking no medications, has no further need for physical therapy, and has well developed gross and fine motor skills. While her speech is somewhat delayed, all other aspects of her development are nearly on target compared to other children her age. Her caretakers say that she has been making consistent progress over time, and has excellent potential. If you’re interested in learning more about Alena, contact our matching specialists today to view her file!
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One of the amazing families in our Bulgaria adoption program has begun submitting their paperwork to adopt a sibling group of THREE!
When they first met, Kam and Travis would have never imagined that they would be adopting a sibling group of three, however, over the years they began to feel that God had a sense of humor when it came to answering their prayers. While adoption had always held a place in Kam’s heart, Travis took a little bit longer to come around to the idea of it. In 2010 when a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, Travis saw the need of children around the world and began to feel that his heart was opening to the idea of adopting.
When the time came for Kam and Travis to select a program to adopt through, they decided to sign up for our Bulgaria Waiting Child program, as Kam had traveled there previously on a mission trip. While she was there, she was surprised by the impact that the older orphans had on her, as they were fully aware of their situation and of the loss in their lives. Adopting an older sibling group just made sense to both of them.There is such a need when it comes to taking care of the orphan but there is an even greater need for sibling groups. The larger the group or older they are, the smaller their chances are of ever having a forever family. The odds go down even more if there are boys in the group. Since Kam and Travis already have 3 boys in their family they felt that adopting a sibling group with two boys and one girl would just add to the fun!
Kam and Travis are both very excited to begin their journey towards bringing their kiddos home from Bulgaria so that they can add to their three ring circus!
“Adopting into our family won’t make a very big dent in the 175 million+ orphan crisis, we realize, but it will make a difference to the ones we bring home.”
Visit Kam and Travis’ YouCaring page to read more about their adoption journey or to contribute to their fundraiser!
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We are THRILLED to announce that two 12-year-old twin sisters in our Bulgaria adoption program have officially been matched with a family! We are so excited for these sisters and their new family, as they are one step closer to coming home forever. Congratulations from all of us at GWCA and CAN!
In our Bulgaria Waiting Child adoption program, families can be matched with a child or sibling group at any point in the process! Contact our CAN matching specialists or join our private Bulgaria Facebook group today to learn how you can be matched with one of our other waiting children!
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The three families that recently traveled to Haiti for their Socialization trips are back, and catching up with them and hearing their stories has been amazing! After talking to them so much before they left I felt the tables had turned while they were in country and I was constantly waiting for them to email me with updates(I imagine this is how families feel waiting to hear from me!). They all had a wonderful time in country and a couple of them are going back this summer to see their kiddos again while we wait for the adoptions to finalize.
What’s next…
Once a referral is received for a family and the Socialization trip happens the social worker that conducted the visit with the family and the child has 10 days to submit a report to IBESR. Once this is submitted the dossiers (family and child) will go to four different offices to get signed off on. After all the signatures are provided the dossiers are able to be pulled from IBESR and the family is invited for the final trip to complete the adoption.
Now that Haiti has gone Hague we all anticipated more movement happening and ideally the process in general taking less time. After various meetings were held in country it sounded like the matching time for families would be around a year from dossier submission and around 4 months between the Socialization trip and finalization. So for the time being all we can do is hope this is how the process will be going forward, and we can get all these children home soon!
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18
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The three families that recently traveled to Haiti for their Socialization trips are back, and catching up with them and hearing their stories has been amazing! After talking to them so much before they left I felt the tables had turned while they were in country and I was constantly waiting for them to email me with updates(I imagine this is how families feel waiting to hear from me!). They all had a wonderful time in country and a couple of them are going back this summer to see their kiddos again while we wait for the adoptions to finalize.
About Post Author
My goal as a promotion specialist for GWCA and CAN is to advocate for the Waiting Children in our international adoption programs to help them find loving Forever Families.
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