Team T-Shirts Now Available

Join our TEAM and contribute to our upcoming host programs. All proceeds acquired from these t-shirts will go toward hosting grants for the Summer 2015 program. These shirts will be worn by all of our hosting kids as they arrive to meet their host families for the 2014 Holiday Program. We ask that all family members and friends that will be meeting these children at the airport purchase a shirt. The shirts will be available to order until November 5th. They are $20, which includes shipping. T-shirts will be shipped after November 20th. Send this link to your friends and families and make a difference in a child’s life by joining our TEAM today!

Do you know what TEAM stands for?
Tell
Everyone
Adoption
Matters

 

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Top 10 Reasons to Host an Orphan

Top 10 Reasons to Host an Orphan

  1. To help find an orphan a forever family.
  2. Allowing a child to experience the love a family.
  3. The child will change your life for the better.
  4. Motivate and build a child’s self-esteem.
  5. To give a child the gift of hope and love.
  6. To show a child life outside the orphanage.
  7. Show your family what it means to be grateful.
  8. Educate your family about another culture.
  9. Provide a child with many ‘first encounters’.
  10. Raise awareness for orphans worldwide.

To learn how to be an Orphan Warrior and host an orphan in your home, visit www.orphanhosting.com.

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Hosting Kids Need Forever Families NOW

Our China summer host program has come to a close. Now comes the big task, bringing all of these kiddos home for good! Several of these kiddos are being adopted by their host families or have found a family because of this program, however there are a few kiddos that still NEED families. Their host families have been advocating for them since day one and brought them here to the U.S. to try and help them find a family. TTheir host families are more than excited to talk to prospective families and share all of their experiences. If you can’t bring one of these kiddos home, at least share this blog so we can bring these little ones home for good!

Meet Tanner!

My name is Tanner and I am 7 years old. I have swollen glands under my tongue and some hearing loss in my right ear. I am lively kid and just returned to China from a hosting trip in the United States. I am hoping to be able to return one day with my forever family.

Meet Gwen!

Hi, my name is Gwen and I am 8 years old. Some of my muscles are weak and I need some help but other than that I am a lot like my peers. I was just hosted by a family in the United States and had so much fun. They are helping me find a forever family, and I hope to one day return to the U.S. forever!

Meet Gavin!

Hi! I’m Gavin! I just started school at home last September and am learning a lot! I know my numbers and can count different objects I see. I am still working on learning my colors. I like to charm others and I love getting to play with my friends. My doctors helped me correct my cleft in my palate and lip and they also tell me that I am a Hep B carrier. I can hear well but I do have to eat softer foods. My favorite things are watching little bear cartoons and playing with cars and legos.

There is nothing negative to say about him.  He is just a wonderful little boy who would fit in any family. -Gavin’s Host Mom

Meet Bo!

My name is Bo and I am 10 years old. My doctors say that I have Spina Bifida and I need help getting around. I am very friendly and love being active. I just visited the United States for the first time and really enjoyed my stay with my host family. I would love to be able to return someday with a family of my own.

Meet Jim!

HI, I’m Jim and I will be 11 years old soon. I am currently being hosted by a family in the United States and want more than anything to return with a forever family. My doctors say that I have good health. I am a smart boy and I get a long well with my caregivers. I love watching cartoons and playing outside with my friends.

Meet Teddy!

Hi, I’m Teddy I am 6 years old and I am loving my trip to the United States. My doctors say that I have something called Cerebral Palsy, but I obviously don’t let it stop me. My legs are a little weak, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. My host family started a Facebook page to help me find a forever family, it has lots of photos and stories about my visit here in the U.S.

Meet Hope!

Hi, I am Hope and I am 9 years old. I am currently enjoying my time in the U.S. with my host family. My host Mom shared a lot about me in hopes to help me find a forever family.

“Hope is a fun loving 9 year old.  She smiles and laughs alot.  She has cerebral palsy but can walk using a walker and can transfer to low lying chairs as well as use the restroom and dress herself with some assistance. She tries hard but needs encouragement to keep pushing herself to do new things. She responds well to praise. She loves music and after three weeks with our family picked up many songs and even began using phrases in English.  Hope enjoys crafts and will spend hours using markers, making things with foam stickers and always has a pen and paper near by to draw with. While she was part of the hosting program she received glasses which helped her enjoy things like TV shows and movies since she could finally interact with them and know what parts were funny.  She likes the Disney movie Frozen and can sing part of the song “Do you want to build a snowman?”  She also received AFOs (leg braces) and is learning to walk using those and her walker.  We are a large family and she was able to learn our names and get along with each member well.  Hope is strong willed and also a perfectionist. While her initial adjustment to our family was difficult and she had trouble adjusting to schedules, foods and boundaries, she learned to like all American foods and eat well (except pizza!). She benefits from love and a good schedule with consistent boundaries as she learns what it means to be part of a family. Her response to disappointments resembles a much younger child (meltdowns and tantrums). As she made daily progress in our home, these became less frequent. She has learned what it means to have a “mommy”, “daddy” and lots of brothers and sisters but might thrive in a smaller family than ours. We believe she would do well in a family that understands the complex needs of cerebral palsy, who have the physical strength to attend to daily needs and also possibly older siblings that could praise her often. She will need help learning to manage emotions and behaviors in positive ways and how to be part of a family and accept love but not demand constant attention or help with the things she can do for herself. ” – Hope’s Host Mom

 

Meet Dean! – I HAVE FOUND MY FOREVER FAMILY!

Meet Elliott! – I HAVE FOUND MY FOREVER FAMILY!

 

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Staff Spotlight – Kayley

Meet Kayley!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. What is your job title and description here at GWCA?

As Travel Advisor for GWCA/CAN, I facilitate each family’s travel to the country where they will be adopting their child. This includes intra-country travel arrangements, scheduling adoption appointments, and making sure families are prepared for their journey in whatever way they may need. I also manage the Legacy Journey department, which facilitates heritage tours for adoptees to go back to China. In fact, I currently have about 30 families in China on a heritage tour sponsored by CCCWA, which is extremely exciting.

  1. How long have you been working at GWCA?

I began work at GWCA on January 15, 2013. I moved into the role of Travel Advisor in June 2013, and have been in that position since!

  1. What do you enjoy most about your job?

Communication with families, and figuring out ways to support their transition and travel in seamless, effective ways. Travel is, admittedly, a difficult time if only because it is high stress, and there is a large amount of emotional and financial output. But – the travel phase also has the highest rewards, and there is nothing I enjoy more than getting a happy email or pictures from families that just had Gotcha Day.

  1. What is the most difficult aspect of your job?

Working with separate entities because this can sometimes cause unexpected delays that can’t be controlled. Those are difficult to navigate as a travel manager, and even more difficult for the families who may have to wait a bit longer to see their kiddo. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it is frustrating for everyone.

  1. How have you grown personally from working at GWCA and with their families?

GWCA is a collaborative environment, and I think that has made me more aware of effective communication, teamwork, and coordinating my day so that I am helping someone else – both the families that we serve, and other staff.

  1. Why do you love adoption?

Every human being deserves a family that loves them.  Adoption gives families the chance to grow, and gives children in particular the chance to learn and play in a happy environment. I think being born into that type of environment is a wonderful privilege, and my work is centered on the goal of extending that privilege to all orphans. Adoption journeys are never “perfect,” but I’m always honored to be a part of them in whatever capacity I can be.

Fun facts about Kayley: 

1. I am a black belt in American tae kwon do.

2. I have two dogs and I could not love them more, even if I’m pretty sure they conspire against me.

3. I moved to Canada for two years to go to graduate school, and I don’t know what I’m going to do without proper cold weather in my life now. (Side note: It’s true, Canadians are the nicest people in the universe.)

4. My mother and I once drove for 25 hours straight from London,Ontario to San Antonio,Texas just to prove we could do it.

5. I love movies of any kind, and if there is a quirky documentary on this planet that I haven’t seen … I would be shocked.

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14 Kids Under Six Years Old
A few of our programs have children available under six years old. All of our programs have a wide range of waiting children and more often than not we are seeing older children in most of our programs, however there is still hope for younger children. Have you considered China, Bulgaria or Latvia? These programs all have children available under six years old.
China: The requirements can be strict, but the waiting child process can be relatively easy compared to most. We currently have 14 kids on our China photo listing that are all under six years old. In China most children under six years old are going to have a wide range of medical needs. Many of these needs are manageable, and not as scary as they seem. Our matching team does an excellent job counseling families through the matching process.
Bulgaria: The Bulgaria program has children under six years old as well. The younger the child the longer the wait however the process is fairly simple. The children from Bulgaria typically have some needs but many of their needs can be more emotional vs. medical.
Latvia: Lots of love in Latvia. Once registered in country a family can receive a referral very quickly. The option for younger children is available, the younger, the longer the wait but the process is smooth sailing once you have been matched. Latvia has the option for young healthy children, however the wait averages around five years.
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Why Adopt From the Dominican Republic?

Why Adopt from the Dominican Republic?
1. Our DR program is quickly growing, we should be seeing waiting children very soon.
2. The children born in the DR have very unique features, as their ancestors range from white European (Spain and France), to African and Amerindian.
3. The DR encourages lengthy bonding time for families and their children to ensure they will be a good fit.
4. For travel purposes the distance between the States and the DR makes travel easier and less expensive.
5. The country is beautiful, laid back, and full of children waiting to find their forever families.
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Why Adopt From the Philippines?

Why Adopt From the Philippines?
The Philippines is a great country to adopt from. The process itself is very thorough and ICAB (Inter-Country Adoption Board) is very conscience of matching children with the most well suited families. The process for adopting a child from the Philippines can be very simple, the trip is only one week, the flights are relatively inexpensive, and no visa is required to travel. The Philippines is a great country for single parents. Some of the kiddos speak and know English and there are healthy kiddos over the age of 6 waiting to come home.
To learn more about Philippines eligibility and how to get started today contact International Adoption Consultants and the can help you to bring these children home today.
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Love Needed in Latvia

Love Needed in Latvia
A big concern in Latvia is the issue of human trafficking. Unfortunately this issue directly impacts many of the orphans that eventually age out of care. It’s hard to comprehend how easily it happens and how often. Human trafficking is very common in Eastern European countries and it is effecting men, women and children daily.
Latvia has MANY sibling groups and older children waiting to be adopted, they are waiting for the family that will give them a chance at a better life, an education, and a promising future. Unfortunately if these children do not find these families in time, they are forced to leave the care and protection of the orphanage to fend for themselves. At this point these young teens are the prey of those looking for victims to use for human trafficking. It is a sad truth but that is why we are advocating for these children in Latvia and are helping to find their forever families.
Feel free to reach out to our International Adoption Consultants to learn how to bring your child home now.
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Adoption Desires

What are your family’s adoption desires? How do you know where to begin? It is possible that your family may have an idea in mind of how you see your family, maybe you haven’t gotten that far, however its important to better understand what ages are realistic when adopting internationally.

0-2 years old (Infant)

Your family is probably looking for that sweet baby to add to your family. That perfect little girl or boy to be the addition your family has been looking for. We are just as excited as you are to begin this journey with you, however if you were to come home with a child under two years old your options are extremely limited. In most countries it can take around a year for a file to be made available on a child, on top of that process can last anywhere from 9 – 60 months which are two big reasons it is difficult to come home with a young child. The wait can be exceedingly long which can be very difficult to over come. To learn more about the countries that have children available under two see the link to our country matching system at the bottom of this page.

3-7 years old (Toddler +)

Maybe your family is ready for a toddler and you don’t necessarily need the baby phase. Several of our countries have children available under seven, however most of the children have one or more medical concerns. Each country varies in the types of needs that are seen with children. It is common that there are several boys available at this age. The wait for a child this age will be less than that of infant but more than likely the child will have some degree of needs. Fortunately many of the needs are more manageable once they are treated in the United States. The longer these children suffer in their native country the worse their condition can become.

7 and up (Older Child)

There are many older children available for adoption in every country. More often than not the older children are typically healthy or suffer from emotional needs to due to being institutionalized. The older a child gets, the less likely it is that they are adopted. It is very unfortunate that these children may never find their forever families due to their age. Because there are more older children available, as a family you will be able to fulfill many other desires such as gender, needs, etc that will fit best with your family. Many older children are also educated, most institutions provide schooling and they may have already begun to discover their strengths and talents. Many of our older children are a part of sibling groups. This is perfect for a family that is looking to adopt more than once. It is possible for countries like China, Guyana, Bulgaria, Poland, and Ethiopia to view a child’s file today. Reach out to our International Adoption Consultants to learn how.

If you are wondering what country will be best for what your family is looking for, click here to use our fun new tool to determine what country best fits your family’s adoption desires.

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Pondering About Poland?

Have you considered adopting from Poland? CAN works exclusively with representatives in Poland to find the best family for the kiddos available. There are children available as young as two years old with special needs as well as sibling groups. The important thing to keep in mind when adopting from Poland is to get your dossier registered in country as soon as possible. The sooner you can show the country your commitment, the sooner they are excited to help your family get matched. Orphanages in Poland are well kept so the care for the children is far better than many other places in the world. Most importantly these children are without families and in desperate need of someone like yourself that will care for them, provide for them and most importantly love them.

To learn more about adopting from Poland our International Adoption Consultants are ready to speak with you!

The photos below are samples of children in Poland. These two kiddos are not currently available for adoption.

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