What's Happening at AAI

We've had several inquires from our PNW families, but don't let distance hold you back! We'd love to see our board include a diverse membership; from the Pacific to the Atlantic and beyond!

February 2013

Dear Friends,

What better month to truly connect with our mission? This is the month that is all about love, and for us, that shines through in the work we do every day.

Each day we witness the joy that comes from seeing families open their hearts to a child who wants and needs to be loved. These families go through the incredible hoops and challenges of adoption, whether internationally or domestically. It is an emotional process with many ups and downs, with many starts and stalls. When the child finally comes home, there are often many uncertainties and adjustments to be made.

Yet despite the challenges, every day we have more families join us who have hearts full of love to offer and are willing to take those risks to create a new family. We all know that the efforts are well worth the rewards. We know that the love that grows increases their happiness and joy.

For opening your hearts to these children in need, we send you our sincere gratitude. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your love story.

Happy Valentine's Day!

FEATURED WAITING CHILD

This little boy is almost 6 years old. He is HIV+, but is otherwise healthy. He was admitted to the orphanage because his mother, who is also HIV+, was too sick to care for him. He is an alert and eager little boy who loves to learn new things and play with his peers.

For more information, please contact Marquita.

Visit our website to see many more children waiting for their forever families! If you need the password, please contact Johanna.

FEATURED WAITING CHILD

This boy was born on November 29, 2007. He has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, but is otherwise healthy. He is an extroverted, active little guy who enjoys being outside and playing with other children.

For more information, please contact Ky.

Visit our website to see many more children waiting for their forever families! If you need the password, please contact Johanna.

GRACE FUND PARTIES

AAI's GRACE Fund provides financial assistance to adoptive families with a special focus on the placement of the longest waiting children. If you're interested in helping support the GRACE Fund, now is the perfect time to do so! Emma Dodge Hanson, who helped get the GRACE Fund started, will come to your community and help raise funds and awareness at a "GRACE Fund Party." Emma will show a lovely video that she created and share her personal story of involvement in the GRACE Fund. Emma is a lively and engaging speaker - her story will move you and your guests to donate to this worthy cause.

We have had some interest and are working with an AAI Burkina Faso family to host a party. We would love to have families from each of our programs to get involved! If you are interested in holding a fundraiser for the GRACE Fund, please contact Emma as soon as possible. This is a limited-time offer - from now until May - so don't hesitate!

FIND US ON FACEBOOK, FOLLOW OUR NEW BLOG

AAI is now on Facebook! See what's happening at our agency and keep up to date on current adoption-related news and events. Like AAI on Facebook; we look forward to seeing you there!

We also have a new home for the AAI Blog. Come visit and see the new format and stories! Our first post features an AAI adoptee and her story, which began over twenty years ago in India. Read about Jaya's path:

I was four months old when I left India to come to the United States. I was born in Kolkata, premature, malnourished; when I arrived I could barely lift my head.

Any input is greatly appreciated! Please contact us with any questions or comments.

WHY INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION STILL MATTERS

Love Without Boundaries is a non-profit organization located in Oklahoma. Formed in 2003 by a group of adoptive parents who were advocating for a little boy in need of medical attention, LWB has since grown into an international network of volunteers and staff dedicated to improving the lives of orphan children in China.

After Russia closed its doors to outgoing foreign adoptions in late 2012, social media erupted with opinions on the subject, many of which were very much against international adoption. Shocked by the outpour of negativity, Amy Elridge, CEO of Love Without Boundaries, wrote the following article in response:

Every child on this earth has a basic human right to be raised in a family, regardless of country. Children are NOT supposed to be raised in institutions. It's really not rocket science. Kids need families.

COMMUNITY AND RESPITE CARE WANTED

We have a family who has adopted from Ghana who would like to meet other adoptive families in the greater Seattle, WA area. They would like to create more community and have someone to occasionally provide respite for their 11 year old son. He is very active and loves soccer and bike riding.

They would love to talk with other families who have adopted from Ghana or other African countries.

Please contact Marquita if you are interested to receive more information and to be connected with the family.

WELCOME THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE

The Chinese New Year is right around the corner! The Year of the Snake begins on February 10, though celebrations begin a day before on Chinese New Year's Eve. Mr. Li, our representative in China for the past twenty years, sends greetings and shares about the upcoming celebration:

I would like to take the chance to say Happy Chinese New Year to all of AAI's families.

Couplets display happy, hopeful messages for the coming year.

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is the most important traditional festival and a public holiday in China. The 2013 Chinese New Year starts February 9 (Chinese New Year's Eve). It is the Year of the Snake. The festival falls on the first day of the first Chinese month (usually in late January or early February), and ends with Lantern Festival which is on the fifteenth day. The festival is celebrated grandly and extensively across the country; lighting fireworks, dragon dancing, lion dancing, and other traditional performances are arranged in parks and streets in cities and towns. Every family thoroughly cleans the house, sweeps the floors and washes daily things. House cleaning is believed to drive away ill-fortune and bring good luck in the coming year. Windows and doors are decorated with red paper cuttings and couplets.

The Lantern Festival is on the fifteenth day of the first month of the New Year.

Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together. A reunion dinner is held on New Year's Eve, when New Year food including Chinese dumplings and spring rolls is eaten.

From the first day of the New Year to the fifteenth day, Chinese people go to visit friends and relatives. New year greetings are given to each other, and lucky money is given to children with the hope that it will bring them good luck.

REMINDER FOR ASIA PROGRAMS NEWSLETTER

The first issue of our new Asia Programs newsletter will be coming soon! Items featured will include current news, trends, placements, and waiting children for China and Thailand.

If you haven't already, please contact Ky to sign up! Comments, suggestions, and ideas for content are gladly accepted as well!

ETHIOPIA OPPORTUNITY HOUSE

What is Opportunity House? Opportunity House is a unique, government sanctioned home specifically for children with special needs and developmental delays. Most of these children are not eligible for adoption, and without the assistance of AAI, many would be neglected or abandoned by families unable to care for them. At Opportunity House, the children are receiving appropriate care and rehabilitation and their families are being educated as well. Several children have been reunited with their families since the program began in 2007. Learn more about Opportunity House.

The children and staff at Opportunity House are now part of the larger Sele Enat Orphanage that moved into the Layla facility at the end of 2012. This is a positive change, as they are now surrounded by the smiles and laughter of all the children living at Sele Enat. The atmosphere now is so much more conducive to the holistic well-being of the Opportunity House children.

Adoption Advocates International is still fully responsible for the support of the Opportunity House children living at Sele Enat, and those living at Kebebe Tsehay Orphanage as well. Care for each child's needs often exceeds $400 per month. We hope you will find a place in your heart to sponsor this program. For a minimum $40 per month, you can assure that the children are given the best care possible.

Our heartfelt gratitude to all the families that made generous donations over the holidays to support Opportunity House. The children at Opportunity House send their special thanks as well. If you forgot to send in your donation, it's not too late to make a difference! Donate today!

For more information about Opportunity House and other programs, please contact Jill, AAI Sponsorship Coordinator. Thank you!

ETHIOPIA VOLUNTEER TRIP

Our Ethiopia Volunteer trip is coming up fast! The trip is set for February 27 and it is full with members from across the nation. Volunteers try to take the maximum luggage allowed by the airlines and really pack their suitcases. If someone has items to donate, contact Chris Little and she will connect you with the closest volunteer and see what space they have available.

In the past, the field trips have been a big hit! Last year, kids aged 2 to 14 from Hilawe were taken to an indoor play area and also given lunch at the attached restaurant. Orphanage workers and kids were all dressed up and looking their best and the excitement level was high. Donations can be made and will benefit the orphanage either as part of the upcoming field trip or funding for other supplies and needs at Ethiopian orphanages. Donate today!

Here is a sampling of what volunteers pack their cases with: Toothbrushes, toothpaste, Nix meds (for lice), cortisone creams, anti-fungal creams, disposable diapers of all sizes, children's vitamins, children's Tylenol, shoes (toddler to adult size 8), children's socks, underwear, pajamas, simple medical supplies (gauze, tape, stethoscopes, physical therapy pillows or other supplies), deflated soccer balls, simple puzzles, coloring books, UNO and other easy card games, pants and jeans (up to teen size 14), lightweight fleece jackets, cash for field trips.

FDA WARNING FOR CODEINE

An article by the FDA exploring the link between children of certain ethnic groups and an increased risk of experiencing life-threatening or even fatal side effects from taking codeine for pain relief was recently brought to our attention, as children of African descent may be the most at risk. From the FDA's website:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing reports of children who developed serious adverse effects or died after taking codeine for pain relief after tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Recently, three pediatric deaths and one non-fatal but life-threatening case of respiratory depression were documented in the medical literature. These children (ages two to five) had evidence of an inherited (genetic) ability to convert codeine into life-threatening or fatal amounts of morphine in the body. All children had received doses of codeine that were within the typical dose range.

JOINT COUNCIL WEBINAR

Building Bonds of Attachment: Practical, Expert Advice

Joint Council is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance the overall well-being of vulnerable children and their right to live in permanent family care. Together with Adoption Learning Partners, they are offering a live webinar that focuses on attachment.

The webinar will be held Tuesday, March 12 at 7:00PM (Central Time) with a Q&A session following at 8:00. Read below to learn more and reserve your spot!

~~~~

All parents hope for close relationships with their children. And for children, trusting their parents and feeling secure in their family is essential. Often, adoption can pose challenges to the attachment process. Circumstances prior to adoption experiences either in utero, in an orphanage or in foster care, can create serious barriers to attachment.

Join us for a webinar discussing bonding activities that result in healthy relationships both in the short term and throughout childhood. Deborah Gray, an adoption therapist specializing in attachment, grief and trauma issues in children, will provide practical steps that move parents toward building trusting relationships and secure attachments with their child.

Recognize behaviors that are common in adopted children who have experienced trauma
Learn bonding activities that result in healthy relationships in the short term and throughout childhood
Maintain relationships with children already in the home
Learn practical steps you can use with your family right away