Could you Love US?

Sometimes working in adoption is a joyful experience.  Sometimes it can break your heart.  This little girl is waiting for a home.  She is three years old and longs to know the love of a mother and father.  Her older brother waits for the security of a permanent home....He is four.  The baby brother is only two....he needs a mom to hold him, to snuggle him and kiss his chubby baby neck!  Could you love these children?  Could you bring them into your home?  Could you raise them and watch them meet and surpass the normal milestones of childhood.  Could you watch this lovely girl blossom into the lovely woman she will someday be? 

This is the second set of siblings that I have been asked to find a home for that have one sibling that is HIV positive.  The children have no known health issues and seem developmentally on track.  Behavior reports are glowing.  Typically a sibling group like these would find a family quickly.  HIV tends to be a conversation ender when talking to most families.  Do these families know that HIV is now considered more easily controlled than diabetes?  Do they know that HIV is actually a fragile virus that is very difficult to pass and there must be a fluid exchange.  Do they know that you won't catch HIV from sharing a cup, from changing a diaper or from kissing your little boy....If you could open your heart and love these children, please contact me at nina.thompson@chiadopt.org.

Little Boys Available in Asia!

Children's House is happy to have a list of ten adorable little boys we are currently looking for homes for!  The boys are located in Asia and they have a variety of special needs.  Some of the special needs have already undergone corrective surgery.  These children would largely fall into the "minor or correctable" special needs category.  We need to find families in Washington, Utah or Florida for these boys!  Please email Heidi at heidigoestochina@msn.com  for more information!

PBS Adoption Series Continues with "Off and Running"

"Off and Running tells the story of Brooklyn teenager Avery, a track star with a bright future. She is the adopted African-American child of white Jewish lesbians. Her older brother is black and Puerto Rican and her younger brother is Korean. Though it may not look typical, Avery’s household is like most American homes — until Avery writes to her birth mother and the response throws her into crisis. She struggles over her “true” identity, the circumstances of her adoption and her estrangement from black culture. Just when it seems as if her life is unraveling, Avery decides to pick up the pieces and make sense of her identity, with inspiring results."  To view the story click here.

Special Needs Children with Club Feet

A clubfoot, or congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), is a congenital deformity involving one foot or both. The affected foot appears rotated internally at the ankle. TEV is classified into 2 groups: Postural TEV or Structural TEV. Without treatment, persons afflicted often appear to walk on their ankles, or on the sides of their feet. It is a common birth defect, occurring in about one in every 1,000 live births. Approximately 50% of cases of clubfoot are bilateral. In most cases it is an isolated dysmelia. This occurs in males more often than in females by a ratio of 2:1.

Club feet are a very common birth defect worldwide. 
The figure ice-skater Kristi Yamaguchi was born with a clubfoot, and went on to win figure skating gold in 1992. The soccer star Mia Hamm was born with the condition. Baseball pitcher Larry Sherry was born with club feet, as was pitcher Jim Mecir, and both enjoyed long and successful careers. In fact, it was suggested in the book Moneyball that Mecir's club foot contributed to his success on the mound; it caused him to adopt a strange delivery that "put an especially violent spin" on his screwball, his specialty pitch. The San Francisco Giants held the record as the team with the all-time highest number of players with clubbed feet as of July 2010, and Freddy Sanchez, one of its infielders, cites his ability to overcome the defect as a reason for his success.  Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints, born with a right club foot and no toes (this was his kicking foot), kicked an NFL record 63 yard field goal. This kick became famous as the longest regular-season NFL place-kick in history, a record that stood till 2009.

Club feet are often correctable largely through a process of "serial casting". Casts are placed on the feet and legs that gradually stretch the tendons and ligaments into more normal alignment. The process can take weeks or months. When casting fails to remedy the situation fully, surgery is sometimes required. Following surgery or casting a splint may need to be worn for up to 14 hours a day for several years to prevent the feet from turning again

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Beautiful Sibling Group Available in Eastern Europe

(names are changed to protect the privacy of the children.  Photos and more details are available by email nina.thompson@chiadopt.org )

We have a lovely sibling group searching for their forever home!  Brittany, Brianna and Brandon are charming intelligent children. 

Brittany is now 6 years old and is said to be very mature for her age and independent in everyday situations.  Brittany is a smart, well-behaved, helpful, good and also beautiful little girl.  Brittany has excellent health and is developmentally at or above the norms for her age. 

Brianna is an outgoing and social little girl.  She is well liked by other children and can be protective of her little brother.  Brianna loves to sing and recite rhymes.  She, like her sister, is a smart child who is well behaved and helpful.  Brianna was born HIV positive and is on anti-retrovirus treatment. 

Brandon is a delightful little boy who has just turned three.  He has sparkling eyes and sweet dimpled cheeks.  His foster family describes him as "obedient, nice and smart".  Brandon establishes very good emotional contact and loves to be cuddled.  Brandon has great health and is developmentally on track.

These children have been waiting for a family for over a year!  For more information on parenting an HIV+ child go to http://www.womenshealth.gov/hiv/livingwith/parenting.cfm

Why Should I Readopt My Child?

As noted under the topic of an IR-3 vs. IR-4 visa, when a child comes to the US on an IR-4 visa, they MUST be readopted here in the US in their home state. Then the parents can obtain a certificate of citizenship for their child.

There are other reasons to be sure to complete a readopt or equivalent in your home state. Here in Washington State a family is required to do a “re-adoption” but some states have a system of filing information with the county or state. What is important is that you follow the requirements of your state to complete the paperwork needed for US immigration so that your child can be citizen.

However, if your child comes to the US on an IR-3 visa and is automatically a citizen, there are still reasons to complete a re-adoption or equivalent in your home state.

1. First, you may need to complete a legal name change for your child. Unless your child’s passport has the full name that you want your child to have, you will need to go through the process to complete a name change. Some insurance companies and medical clinics require that you use the child’s legal name for service. Some will let you use the name you are planning to call your child. You do need to do a legal name change. By doing a legal name change you can also get your child’s certificate of citizenship completed in their new legal name as well.
2. A re-adoption will make sure your child’s adoption is recognized so that if a parent dies the child can receive social security death benefits until they are 18. This may have been mostly taken care of by the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, but a re-adoption makes sure that your child qualifies.
3. A re-adoption makes sure that your child is treated equally with biological or other adopted siblings when the parents die and the estate is settled. It may look now like the “kids all get along” and that it won’t be an issue, but a re-adoption is another layer making sure your adopted child is treated equally.
4. A re-adoption is a good way to get a local birth certificate. Your child will have an easily accessible birth certificate to use for the first day of school, taking drivers education or going on a cruise. Hm. I’m wondering now why it was I needed a birth certificate as well as a passport to go on that cruise to Mexico a decade ago. . .oh well. . . Anyway! And, should your child want to adopt in the future, they will have a nice, easily accessible local birth certificate handy for use at any time.

  

 

Kathy L, MA

 

Adoption Series on PBS

Watch the full episode. See more POV.