China Program - News for this Week

China Waiting Child Program:



Today we have just posted three new children available for adoption to our photolist page on our Asia Waiting Child blog! The children are all in the Shanghai Children's Home. If you have not yet visited our photolist page and are in need of the password, please email mary.chapman@gladney.org.

Taiwan Infant/Toddler Program:
Gladney Center's program with New Hope Social Welfare Foundation in Taiwan offers parents the opportunity to adopt a Chinese child who is healthy or who may have minor medical needs. To learn about program requirements click here.

Gladney Center will be hosting a webinar on May 2nd at 7:30pm EST and again on May 11th at 2pm EST to provide an overview of the process of adopting a baby through our New Hope program. Click here to register for the May 2nd webinar and click here to register for the May 11th webinar.

Some families have asked whether they can enter the New Hope Taiwan program while keeping their dossier in the China program. For some families, especially families in the 'standard' China program who have extended waits to be matched, this is a possibility that can be discussed based on a family's individual circumstances.

March 2011 CCCWA Guidelines:
If you are in Gladney Center's China program, your caseworker will be in contact with you within the next 1-2 weeks to go over some of the changes the CCCWA has made to the post-adoption reporting requirements.

There have also been some changes made to the home study process that will apply to certain families who will be filing their dossiers beginning this fall. If your dossier has already been filed with the CCCWA, the home study changes do not affect your adoption. Your caseworker will also be able to answer any other questions you may have about the program.

Looking for Asia Adoption Options?

We have exciting news in our Taiwan program –Gladney’s infant/toddler program is moving forward and accepting 20 families as we have begun a partnership with New Hope Social Welfare Foundation, a newly licensed foundation in Taiwan. This is an opportunity for families hoping to adopt infants and toddlers from an Asian country! Due to the long wait with other international adoption programs, dual tracking may be considered on a case by case basis.

Gladney estimates an approximate 8-14 month wait from home study completion/translation to child referral with the Taiwan New Hope program. Time frames are estimates as the program is a birth parent selection program. After referral it will take an additional 8 months to complete the Taiwan court process and then families will travel to Taiwan to met their child and complete the U.S. immigration processing.

Interested in learning more? Visit Gladney’s website at http://www.gladney.org/ for program details and adoptive parent requirements. Families who request an online information packet and complete an information sheet will receive a follow up email or phone call by a Gladney staff member.

In the NYC area? Gladney’s NYC Office will be hosting two information sessions- on Wednesday, April 20th from 12 to 1 pm and Thursday, April 28th from 6 to 7 pm. Interested families should RSVP with lindsay.hatcher@gladney.org.

NY Families- Interested in Learning More About Taiwan Adoption?

Gladney is currently accepting approximately 20 applications for our Taiwan infant/toddler adoption program. Based on family situation and program requirements, prospective adoptive parents may have the option to dual track with a China and Taiwan adoption program. Gladney's New York office will hold two one-hour information sessions for families to learn more about the program. When: Wednesday, April 20th from 12 to 1 pm or Thursday, April 28th from 6 to 7 pm Where: Gladney NYC Office 363 7th Avenue (between 30th and 31st Street) 3rd Floor NY, NY 10001 Space is limited. Please RSVP to lindsay.hatcher@gladney.org. **For further program details and requirements, please visit our website at www.gladney.org.

Spring Comes To Brooklyn

Kathryn and Sarah are enjoying gymnastics, chess tournaments, and a "playground inquiry" unit in social studies this spring. Please send pictures of your child enjoying spring to sbrueckel@gmail.com.

Happy Spring, everyone! You can also send pictures of your celebration of the upcoming spring holidays!

Adoption & Family Conference - This Weekend!

Gladney Center will be an exhibitor at the Ametz Adoption Conference this weekend. During the long wait in the standard China Program - if any families are interested in learning about our Taiwan Program - our lead Taiwan caseworker will be at this conference. Taiwan offers families interested in adopting from Asia the opportunity to adopt children of all ages, including babies and toddlers. We would like to welcome an additional 20 families into our baby/toddler program and have openings for families to apply at this time. It is possible to pursue an adoption from Taiwan while waiting for referral in the China Program. We monitor progress so that there is at least one year between adoptive placements. Adoption and the Family Conference Sunday, April 10, 9am-5pm The Conference Center 130 East 59th Street, NYC For more information go to: http://www.jccany.org/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=106241

April 5, 2011 -- The Qingming (Pure Brightness) Festival is a Combination of Sadness & Happiness

The Qingming Festival is the most important day of sacrifice. It is a time to honor ancestors who have passed away. On each Qingming Festival, cemeteries are crowded with family members who come to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices. In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers, people also enjoy the hope of Spring on this day. The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines brightly, the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively. People love to fly kites during the Qingming Festival and during this festival people fly kites not only during the day, but also at night. A string of little lanterns tied onto the kite or the thread look like shining stars, and therefore, are called "god's lanterns".

Gladney Cowgirls visit the Rodeo!

Big sister Isabelle got to take her new little sister Madeleine to the Rodeo for the first time this year. Madeleine came home through Gladney's China Program last November. These cowgirls had a blast!