CALL TO ACTION: Families For Orphans Act

Dear Friends and Families,

Anshula has recently come into an orphanage. She is four years old and alone. Where should she spend her childhood? In an orphanage? In temporary foster care? Or in a permanent and loving family?

The answer should be obvious: a safe, permanent and loving family. Unfortunately, the U.S. government and many aide organizations do not seem to agree. In fact, the U.S. sometimes spends millions of dollars, ensuring just the opposite. And while beloved organizations such as UNICEF keep millions of children alive, many believe it is better for children to live in temporary foster care than in a permanent family. The children of our world need your help to make a change. They need your help to live in a permanent family.

As a founding member of the Families For Orphans Coalition, Joint Council is proud to announce that the first step in making this much-needed change is upon us. In a bi-partisan effort, landmark legislation was introduced into Congress, which will ensure that U.S. government programs, policies and funding are directed towards a singular goal: a permanent family for every child.

The Families For Orphans Act (Senate Bill 1458 and House Bill 3070), sponsored by Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and James Inhofe (R-OK) along with Representatives Diana Watson (D-CA) and John Boozman (R-AR) demonstrates our collective commitment to the millions of children living outside of permanent parental care and proactively addresses a global gap in the most basic of human rights - the right to a permanent family.

While the introduction of the legislation is an important first step, there is much more to be done. Now we must ensure that the Families For Orphans Act becomes the law of the United States. To do this, your voice is needed. Speak for those to cannot speak for themselves by supporting the Families For Orphans Act and joining our Call To Action.

What can you do?

Sign the Families For Orphans petition, make three simple phone calls, and get the word out! Here are the details...

1. Sign our Petition!
Sign the Joint Council Families for Orphans Petition
The Petition will be delivered to the U.S. Congress

2. Call Congress!
On July 28th, 29th, and 30th, call your three Members of Congress (two in the Senate and one in the House of Representatives).
You can find your Representative at http://www.house.gov/
You can find you Senators' at http://www.senate.gov/
Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
For maximum effect, we are asking you to make these calls within this 72-hour window!

3. Get the word out!
Send this email to friends and family. Post to your Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blog or website
What should you say or write to your Members of Congress?
This is an issue that is critical to children in need, so speak from your heart. Tell them why ensuring more children living in families is so important to you!
Ask your Senators and Representatives to become a Co-Sponsor of the Families for Orphans Act.
Please feel free to use the following text as a guideline when speaking with your Members of Congress.
"As a constituent of we are requesting that you support the Families For Orphans Act by becoming a Co-Sponsor of the legislation. For information on becoming a Co-Sponsor, please contact Senator Mary Landrieu, Senator James Inhofe, Representative Diane Watson or Representative John Boozman. Thank you for representing your constituents by becoming a Co-Sponsor of the Families For Orphans Act (Senate Bill 1458 and House Bill 3070)."
More Information

For detailed information on the Families For Orphans Act visit:
The Joint Council website (www.jcics.org)
For minute-by-minute updates, see Joint Council's page on Facebook
The websites of any Families For Orphans Coalition Member (see below)
The Families For Orphans Legislation
On behalf of Joint Council, the Families for Orphans Coalition and the children of our world, we thank you for helping through your support of the Families For Orphans Act.


Rebecca Harris
Government Relations and Communications Manager

The Families For Orphans Coalition
Buckner International
EACH International
Joint Council on International Children's Services
Institute for Orphan Advocacy
Institute for Human Services
Kidsave International
National Council for Adoption
Worldwide Orphan Foundation

Think About It Tuesday

By Andrea, mom to Lydia Mei from China with a SN of unilateral microtia/aural atresia

We began our adoption journey in hopes of adding children to our home, but ultimately we found a much greater purpose and passion. The road to parenthood by way of China brought us into a deeper understanding of how we were adopted by God as His forever family. It also created in us a desire to encourage others to “care for widows and orphans in their distress.” (James 1:27)

In June 2005, my husband and I stood in a Chinese office building as our healthy baby girl was placed in our arms. We had waited for this moment for 11 years and could not believe how blessed we were to have experienced this miracle of adoption. A year later, our dossier was headed back to China in hopes of adding a second child to our family.

Over the next two years, the wait for a referral from China increased dramatically. A yearlong military deployment and two household moves kept us from changing our course. We took a wait and see attitude while continuing to explore other adoption programs that we could pursue concurrently or in place of China. In doing so, we found our hearts opening to many different children. Although we’d written it off for many years, we finally began investigating China’s Waiting Child (WC) program. We still had reservations when we submitted our application after two years on the non-special needs list. I don’t have a nursing bone in my body and faint at the sight of blood, so I figured there was no way I could adequately care for a special needs child. For me personally, I had to have very clear reasons for choosing to adopt a child with special needs.

When we switched to the WC program (June 2008), we were concerned that it would be impossible to discern who our child should be. When we adopted our first daughter, China had done the matching. We felt this was a very “divine” way to choose a child since it was out of our hands and therefore entirely in God’s hands. The WC program required us to choose a child. We didn’t want our fears and anxieties to influence this lifelong decision. Thankfully, we have a sovereign God that brought our child to us at just the right time despite our concerns.A month later, in the quiet of the early morning, the call came from our agency. Side by side, my husband and I reviewed the file of an 8-month-old baby girl named Mei Ying waiting in foster care in Jiangxi province. Her special need was listed as unilateral microtia / aural atresia with a possible diagnosis of Hepatitis B. Put simply, she has a “tiny ear” on the right side and lacks an external ear canal opening. We had first learned about microtia while filling out our agency’s special needs application. Further research online made us confident this was a condition we could readily accept.

Microtia is an incompletely formed ear. The term “micro” means small and “otia” means ear. Hence, when translated literally, “microtia” means small ear. At times a bump of tissue is present in the location where an ear would normally be found. In other cases, the lobule, the lower part of the ear, and the concha, the hollow part of the ear, may be partially formed and the entire upper part of the ear is missing. Although microtia can involve one ear or both ears, 80% of the time only one is affected. (source)Aural atresia is a birth defect in which there is an absence or incomplete formation of an external ear canal. Both the external and middle ear may be malformed, but the inner ear and auditory nerve are often normal. It can occur in one or both ears. A malformed outer ear is the most common indicator of aural atresia. All atretic ears have abnormal middle-ear anatomy to a greater or lesser degree. (source)We accepted her file and three months later, we held our daughter Lydia Mei Ying for the first time!

In addition to the regular post-adoption checkups, we met with an audiologist. He looked at the ABR test results from China we had received with her referral. The way he described it to me in layman’s terms is that her hearing loss in her right ear is about equal to sticking your finger in your ear. Lydia will have a CT scan to show us the structure of her middle and inner ear. She’ll also have a full hearing test. But all of this is just informing us of how her ear developed (or didn’t). There is nothing we need to do or undo for a long time. We were especially glad to learn that she would not need surgery any time soon.

Microtia repair is a surgery that is considered cosmetic by insurance companies and also debated among doctors. Many times, parents choose to wait until the child can be part of the decision process for surgery. It’s easy to do an Internet search on microtia. There is also a Yahoo! group on the subject.Lydia is in all respects a healthy baby girl. She tested negative for Hepatitis B! She also tested as being completely immune to the disease. Her “uncertain” diagnosis in China may have been caused by an infection at birth or by the vaccination given in China. Our research into Hepatitis B showed us that it’s a very manageable disease that does not put our family members or our community at risk. We would gladly adopt another child with confirmed or “uncertain” diagnosis of Hepatitis B.

At age 14 months, Lydia has learned to crawl and now walks across the room in that adorable baby Frankenstein way. The occupational and physical therapists are both impressed at how quickly she is catching up. She is very active and curious to the new world we’ve given her. Everyone agrees that in 3-6 months, she won’t have any developmental delays!We may still have issues with speech development in the future, but for now, she is plenty vocal for her age. She has names for each family member and loves music. The audiologist assured me that she is not deaf and that she can “hear a truck coming.” I mentioned to him that she can also hear a bottle being shaken from across the room!Lydia’s intense desire to bond and grow amazes me.

When I look at our child, I don’t see a deformity. I see our daughter who has a forever family and a future! More importantly, God sees an intricate part of His creation that He made. (Psalm 139:13-15; Exodus 4:11)If you are considering adoption of a special needs child, remember that it is not their diagnosis that defines them. It is God who made them and their special need is no secret to Him.Lydia has only been home for three months and we have no guarantee of what lies ahead for her. Even our oldest daughter, adopted from China’s regular track, could have medical needs arise in the future. Any adoption has risks just as pregnancy does. However, we proceed forward trusting in God’s strength to equip us as their parents.We have taken a leap of faith with special needs, but now seeing the child God planned to be ours, I wonder if He only wanted a bunny hop from us. Yet, we had to be willing to jump all the way. Although I sometimes have worries, I can honestly say that I am so confident in the God who sustains me. Parenting and adoption are ways that we can glorify God because we know for certain there is no way we can do it on our own strength. We were invited to experience the adoption road with all its potholes and unexpected turns. It was on this road we discovered God’s heart for adoption.

Learn more about our adoption road at our website.

To read more stories from families who have adopted Special needs children, visit No Hands But Ours by clicking on the link in our side bar.

Dear Friend of Adoption:

NCFA is pleased to announce that the introduction of the Families for Orphans Act (H.R. 3070*) and the Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act (S. 1359 and H.R. 3110), both of which are a result of NCFA’s collaborative involvement in the Families for Orphans Coalition.**

Both proposed acts represent a potential victory for millions of vulnerable children from around the world who need a permanent family and for child welfare advocates who proactively work globally to address the permanency needs of children.

Introduced by Senator Mary Landrieu and Representatives John Boozman (R-Arkansas) and Diane Watson (D-Ca), the Families for Orphans Act would establish the Office of Orphan Policy, Diplomacy and Development within the Department of State which would have the responsibility for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy advocating for the preservation of families and other permanency options such as intercountry adoption for orphans. Spearheaded by Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and James Inhofe (R-OK) and Representatives Diane Watson (D-CA) and John Boozman (R-AR), the Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act simplifies the acquisition of citizenship for internationally adopted children and removes these children of American citizens from the immigration process.

More information about the Families for Orphans Act and the Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act can be found at www.adoptioncouncil.org.

How can you advocate for these children? We are asking all you to become actively engaged with your U.S. Congressional Representative and Senators by urging them to support the Families For Orphans Act and the Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act. Your visit, telephone call, letter or e-mail can make a difference in the life of a child who is desperately in need of a permanent, loving family.

1. Come to DC on Wednesday, July 15th and participate in meetings on Capitol Hill to educate Members of Congress on the importance of both legislative proposals. This event is being organized by fellow coalition member Kidsave. For more information, please visit http://www.kidsave.org/pdf/Kidsave10thAnniversary.pdf.

2. In coordination with the Joint Council on International Children’s Services, we are suggesting a 72-hour sustained telephone effort by asking you to call Congress on July 21, 22, or 23 and urge your three Members of Congress (two in the Senate and one in the House of Representatives) to become a Co-sponsor of the Families For Orphans Act and the Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act. Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff and tell them that as a constituent you are requesting their boss’ support by becoming a Co-sponsor. You can direct the staffer to contact Senators Mary Landrieu (and Representatives Diane Watson and John Boozman for information on becoming a Co-sponsor (and to Senator James Inhofe for support of the Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act). For contact information on your representative please visit www.house.gov and for information on your senators please visit www.senate.gov.

3. Get the word out. Send this email to friends and family. Post it to your Facebook, My Space, and Twitter accounts, your blog, and personal Web site.On behalf of the vulnerable children worldwide, we thank you for your time and your efforts. We can make a positive difference as we work together on behalf of children.

Sincerely,Chuck JohnsonVice President and Chief Operating Officer

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3070ih.txt.pdf

Praise God!

Early this month, The Elison Project had the honor of being blessed with some funds and blessed to be able to put them to much need use.

Dear Sponsor, Thank you so much for sponsoring Amy's surgery.

There is a report from our contact in China concerning her surgery:

Amy was admitted into the hospital in the afternoon of June 20. She was very skinny and weak. She is a quiet girl who does not cry much. She only cries when she is hungry or needs a diaper change. The hospital conducted pre surgery exams on June 21 and 22.The echo shows that she has heart problem. She has PFO and left pulmonary vein. They consulted with the cardiologist. The doctors discussed her case on June 26 and decided to postpone it to June 29 since her problem was complicated and she was so small. On June 29, she was sent into the OR at 8:30 and sent back to the ward at 12:10. She was in good condition. The doctors did not send her into PICU. She is on antibiotics now. She’s had some stool in the fistula but has not eaten yet. Her Ayi is a young lady who believes in God. She loves this child very much. She prays to God for the child every day though she is very tired already.Amy's surgery was a success and she is recovering.

Thank you for your support!

Chan Spraley General Surgery CoordinatorLove Without Boundaries"Hope and Healing for Children in Need"

Go to Love Without Boundaries to find out how you too can sponsor a child in need.

A Treat

Recently a family that we had the honor of granting sent us a lovely email and attached a link to a video of their adoption.

I had already seen the video, but it still brought tears to my eyes. Tears of joy and tears of appreciation that I got to be a tiny part of it.

The family gave us permission to post the link. http://thisbelovedfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/sawyers-forever-family-day.html

Enjoy!!

Precious Children!!

Here are some awesome children who waiting for their families. Please take a look and spread the word.


7 Children, Age 12 +, Healthy, EXCEPTIONS granted, China, up to $7000 reduced

We are looking for families for 7 healthy Children, Girls and boys, and a sibling pair, they are 12 years old and one child is 10. Exceptions may be possible, and up to $7000 in grants and reductions. Also 2 children with special needs that are age 12 and 13.

Exceptions:. WACAP is willing to ask for possible exceptions for married parents that do not meet the requirements for China. Only one exception per family. We are sorry there are no exceptions granted for a history of cancer or for singles.

Financial Aid: Promise child grants from $2000-$4000 for eligible families. Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000 for some of the children. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

Please contact FamilyFinders@wacap.org or 1-800-732-1887. WACAP (www.wacap.org) is a non-profit adoption agency. There is no obligation to request a password and see their photos on our secure web site.

Please feel free to forward this to your friends.WACAP is the only agency advocating for these children.

Short descriptions of the Children:
Healthy Siblings 12 year old brother JH and 10 year old sister JX from Asia JHD.0696.16053.01 JXL.0698.16054.01
There is a $4000 Promise Child adoption grant for eligible families for this adoption. Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

XL. Healthy 12 year old girl. Musician and Violinist XL.1296.16052.01 There is a $2000 Promise Child adoption grant for eligible families for this adoption. Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

WCL. Healthy 12 year old boy. Contest winner and artist. WCL.0897.16051.01 There is a $4000 Promise Child adoption grant for eligible families for this adoption Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

HJL. Healthy 12 year old boy. Athlete Enjoys ping pong and basketball.HJL.0596.16050.01 There is a $4000 Promise Child adoption grant for eligible families for this adoption Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000 .The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

GBL. Healthy 12 year old girl. Basketball player and jogger. GB.0997.16047.01 She has long, lovely hair. She is a very tall girl, particularly in Chinese society. When asked if she likes being tall, she said she likes it. … I do well in basketball. There is a $2000 Promise Child adoption grant for eligible families for this adoption Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000 .The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

YHL Healthy 12 year old girl. Performer, violinist, loves laughing and badminton.YHL.0996.16048.01 There is a $2000 Promise Child adoption grant for eligible families for this adoption. Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

HG.13 year old boy. Deaf in school for the deaf and lives with foster family.HG.1295.15550..01) There is a $4000 Promise Child adoption grant for eligible families for this adoption. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived.. The $250 application fee has been waived.

LD.12 year old girl, Post surgery cleft lip palate. LD.0197.16104.01 There is a $4000 Promise Child adoption grant for eligible families for this adoption. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

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Longer descriptions of the children.
Healthy Siblings 12 year old brother JH and 10 year old sister JX from Asia. He is 12 and is in sixth grade and says that he likes to go to school to “learn knowledge and make good friends.” He has a sister, JX who is 10-years-old and in the fourth grade. When asked to describe his sister, he said, “She is naughty sometimes and tries to be first in line.” When asked what he likes about having a sister, he said, “We can take care of each other and I can take care of her.”
He likes sports; basketball, running and ping pong. When watching the Olympics, he said he liked to watch ping pong, basketball, target shooting and gymnastics. He plays in the orphanage band and would like to continue to play the trumpet after he has been adopted. He has no memory of his birthparents and says that he would like to have more brothers and sisters. When asked what he would do if he had a dream day away from the orphanage, he said he would like to visit the local Longmen Caves. When asked if he had any questions, he asked if there are tests in the U.S. and, when told there were and asked if they had tests in China, he said, “Yes, there are. I do very well on tests. I am not afraid of tests.” He appears to be a very serious boy. He gave WACAP many pictures demonstrating his drawing ability that he wanted WACAP to share with interested families.
JHD.0696.16053.01 There is a $4000* Promise Child adoption grant for eligible families for this adoption.
Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

JX the sister is in the fourth grade and says that she loves dancing. When asked to describe her brother she said, “He is a nice boy. He treats me well, like a big brother.” When watching the Olympics with her brother, she said that she liked watching badminton. When we shared that she looked sad in some of her photos, she said, “I was just thinking. I am an outgoing girl and have many friends.” When asked how she handles disagreements, she said she apologizes. When asked about the most difficult adjustment to an adoptive family, she said, “I can’t speak English.” When asked what WACAP should tell an interested family about them, she said, “We wish that the family has good health and a long life. We wish that we could live with them and be a part of their family.”
JXL.0698.16054.01

XL. Violinist Healthy 12 year old girl. XL is in the sixth grade and likes to play the violin, read, listen to music, and play badminton. She likes to go to school because she likes to listen to the teachers teaching as well as play with her classmates. During the Olympics she especially liked to watch swimming and ping pong. She has many friends at the orphanage, especially the three or four who share a room with her – they are her very good friends. When she disagrees with her friends she will try to change the subject to reduce the problem.

She has no memory of her birth family. When asked what she thinks might be the most difficult thing about being adopted, she said, “I can’t talk to them in the beginning.” When asked what kind of family she would like to have, she said any kind. When asked if there was one message she would like to share she said, “I would like to have loving parents. Everyone says I am a happy girl, I hope I can share my happiness with a new family.XL.1296.16052.01 There is a $2000 Promise Child adoption grant for eligible families for this adoption. Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.


WCL. Contest winner and artist. Healthy 12 year old boy. He is in the sixth grade and describes himself as follows: “I am an active outgoing little boy. At school I am one of the ‘good youth pioneers.’ I am a leader among students. I won first place reward for a contest for just using your mind for finding solutions rather than using tools. I have many times been rewarded for good behavior. My paintings and drawings have been exhibited in the school. I play the violin. I hope I can have a loving family.” He says he is not sick very often. In his time off, he likes to play ping pong and basketball. During the Olympics, he watched ping pong, badminton, basketball and shooting.

He has been at the orphanage for over three years. He remembers nothing about his birth parents or where he lived before the orphanage. He said the most fun thing that he has done since he has come to the orphanage is go to school. When asked what the worst thing about living at the orphanage was, he said he could not think of anything. He says he has many, many friends and three or four of them are very close friends. When leaving, he said, “I won’t forget the time I have shared with you,” to the WACAP staff person. When asked about a potential adoptive family, he said, “I hope I can have a loving family. I don’t care how big or small they are or what they are like, as long as they love me.” There is a $4000 Promise Child Grant for this adoption for eligible families.WCL.0897.16051.01 Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

HL. Althlete. Healthy 12 year old boy. He is a 12-year-old boy who enjoys playing basketball and ping pong. He also plays in the orphanage band. He Jun appears to be a very shy boy and when asked about his memories before he arrived at the orphanage he said he has no memories before that time. He enjoys reading literature and listening to music. He seems outgoing and has many friends. It appears that he has a good relationship with his teacher.
He appears to be entering puberty and has the beginnings of a mustache. He is reported to be quiet helpful. He explains that he has lived in the orphanage for many years and came as a little boy. He says he very much now wants parents who love him. He has waited a long time for a family and wants a family with or without children. He has chosen “Martin” for his American name. HJL.0596.16050.01 There is a $4000 Promise Child Grant for this adoption for eligible families Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

GBL, Basketball player and jogger. Healthy 12 year old girl.She is an 11-year-old girl in the sixth grade. She has long, lovely hair. She is a very tall girl, particularly in Chinese society. When asked if she likes being tall, she said she likes it. When asked why, she said, “There may be some jobs that only tall people can do, and I do well in basketball. My favorite sports are jogging and basketball.” She has no memory of her birth family.
She says that she enjoys school because she can chat with her friends and do reading and homework.. When asked what she does with her time off, she said she plays with her roommates, reads, and listens to music. She also likes history and comedy books. She’d like us to know that she was worried about coming to the U.S. if she did not do well in school because of the language barriers, what if her parents lost confidence in her. She was assured that this was not the case. When asked to describe her ideal family she said, “It doesn’t matter as long as there is a mom and dad who care about me.” GB.0997.16047.01 There is a $2000 Promise Child Grant for this adoption for eligible families Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

YHL, Performer, Healthy 12 year old girl. She is in the sixth grade and likes to play the violin. She likes reading and writing. She likes reading because, she says, “I like to laugh a lot. Laughing makes me happy. I laugh when I watch TV and sometimes I laugh when I read. In my free time, I like to do reading, play badminton, and ping pong.”
She describes her herself as a very outgoing girl.. When asked about her favorite friends, she said, “All of my friends are my favorites.” In the photos we took, she had a great deal of make-up on. When asked if she put it on herself, she said she had not, and that her friends had put it on her for the performance they were giving later that day. When asked what she had gotten in trouble for, she said she has never been in trouble. We asked her how she reacts to being angry she said she turns to her caregivers to help her out.
When asked about her birthparents, she said she does not remember anything. When asked about an adoptive family, she said that she hopes that WACAP can find her a family who is supportive of her hobbies. Her ideal family would be a “happy, cozy family,” but that it does not matter if there are already children in the family or not.
YHL.0996.16048.01 There is a $2000 Promise Child Grant for this adoption for eligible families Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

HG. 13 year old boy. Deaf Abandoned in a railway station at the age of 6, this handsome little boy is deaf. He attends a special school for the deaf and was placed in a nearby foster home three years ago. His caregivers describe him as being a kind, active and bright child that has a lot of natural curiosity and love of learning. An adoption grant of $4000 can be applied towards WACAP adoption fees for eligible families who meet WACAP's income guidelines. HG.1295.15550.01 There is a $4000 Promise Child Grant for this adoption for eligible families .Please ask about a possible additional fee reduction of up to $3000. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.


LD.12 year old girl, Post surgery cleft lip and palate. Accompanied by nannies, she was given cleft lip repair surgery on March 1998 with a successful outcome; she was given cleft palate repair surgery on March 2002 in successful outcome; she was given cleft socket ridge repair surgery in May 2006 with successful outcome. She was given speech training promptly after each of the surgeries and her speech function recovered well. She speaks articulately.
She was fostered in a loving family and she entered kindergarten for preschool education. Foster parents and sisters and little brother all love her and treat her kindly. They get along well and love each other. She is becoming a pretty, clever, quiet, sensible, gentle and cute girl.
Sent to School for primary school education. Despite three surgeries, her intellectual development is not affected. She respects teachers, bonds with her fellow students and studies hard. She is an average student. She is popular in both school and the institute. LD.0197.16104.01 An adoption grant of $4000 can be applied towards WACAP adoption fees for eligible families who meet WACAP's income guidelines. The $500 pre approval fee has been waived. The $250 application fee has been waived.

Requirements for China adoptions:Couples must be married a minimum of two years,and couples with prior divorces must be married at least five years. Both spouses must be 30–54 years of age (before 55th birthday must complete the adoption for families adopting children who are older or have special needs). Applicants must be "physically and mentally healthy" as defined by the CCAA. Any of the following conditions may disqualify an applicant: A body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more (seethis online BMI calculator), for either applicant. Infectious diseasestill at an infective stage; Mental handicap; Blindness or severe vision impairment; Inability to hear or speak unless planning to adopt a child with the same condition, Afunction or dysfunction of limbs or trunk caused by impairment, incompleteness, numbness or deformation; severe facial deformation; severe diseases that require long-term treatment and affect life expectancy, such as cancer, lupus, kidney disease, epilepsy, etc.; A major organ transplantation less than 10 years earlier; A history of cancer; Schizophrenia; Taking medication for mental disorders (mild or severe), including depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder, within the previous two years .• In addition to the requirement for the family's income toexceed $10,000 per family member (including the child to be adopted),the family's net worth must exceed $80,000.• Each applicant must hold a high school diploma or equivalent.• The youngest child currently in the home must be over 1 yearof age.• Applicants must have no criminal record.

WACAP (www.wacap.org) is a non-profit adoption agency with a long history of adoptions from China.Contact FamilyFinders@ wacap.org. .. or 1-800-732-1887.

KURTIS THE STOCK BOY AND BRENDA THE CHECKOUT GIRL

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice
came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was
almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the
call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the
new check-out girl was beautiful.

She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he
was only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find
out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card
and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to
see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket,
and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he
dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply
said it wasn't possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a
baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted
his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived
at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The
baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well,
let's take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not
taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet
her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis
thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a
paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't
come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman
with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband
and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary - - - he had a
different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the
movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he
needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and
brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda
knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life
with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children.
Since then they have added two more kids.

So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl?

Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed
as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his
Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl.

Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.
It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
He has also been the NLF's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.

AND THE REST OF THE STORY:
It is also said that: When Kurt, his wife and 7 children go out to eat he
has one of his children pick out a family eating at the restaurant. Kurt then tells the wait staff he is picking up the tab for that family's dinner anonymously. He remembers the days he was working nights in the grocery store and feeding his family on food stamps.
Makes it hard not to root for the Cardinals IN THE SUPER BOWL...doesn't it?

If you want to be like Kurt Warner, consider giving to a child with special needs who doesn't even know her family is trying desperately to bring her home.

You have until midnight tonight to contribute to the Graber Family Fundraiser and have a chance to win some amazing prizes.



http://outofafrica-graber.blogspot.com/