China Heritage Tours

White Swan Hotel Courtyard

 

Are you unable to participate in the China Winter Tour, but still dream of going back to China? Through Gladney China Heritage Tours you can create a customized tour for your family! We will work with you to create a preliminary itinerary, based on when you want to travel and your specific ideas about what you would like to see and do. Then, Gongzhan and his experienced team in China will handle all the travel details.

 

If you are interested in planning a trip for your family, please visit and explore our Gladney Asia website (www.gladneyasia.org) or contact us at chinaheritagetours@gladney.org.

Our Featured Photo

 

This month our featured newsletter header photo was taken at a market place in Seoul, South Korea by Karen Kwan. Karen interned at Gladney's New York office last year and keeps in touch with us all. After receiving her masters degree in social work from Columbia University this past May, Karen moved back to Hong Kong. She is happy to be close to her family and is enjoying traveling.

 

Each month we enjoy selecting photos taken in Asia for our newsletter. Please email Lydia at ljjmacci@aol.com if you have a photo you would like to have featured.

Fu-O-Lantern Pumpkin Carving Pattern

Fu is the character meaning Good Fortune.

It is that time of year again. Time to buy those pumpkins and carve lucky Chinese characters on them! Here is the link to the Fu-O-Lantern carving page. The pattern and pictures of a pumpkin carved with it are there. http://www.bartlett-sloan.net/fulantern.html

Reposted from Families From Children from China, New York, Kirby Bartlett-Sloan, wukong@bellsouth.net

Michelle's Essay

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Michelle Y., 12, was adopted from Changzhou City

Children's Welfare Institute in 2001

In the Gladney Moments section of our newsletter, we enjoy featuring articles from and about our families. More and more families are sharing special pieces their children have written or projects they are involved in that relate to China or adoption. One such piece is an essay written by Michelle last year in sixth grade. The assignment was to write an essay about "What would you most like to improve about yourself?"

 

The paragraph below is an excerpt from Michelle's entire essay which can be found here.

 

"If I could speak Chinese fluently, I would take a trip to China. I want to see the orphanage where I grew up and talk to the people that work there. I want to know what the situation was like when I was there and find out if they knew my birthparents. This would help me understand what it was like when I was a baby in China. I have photos of the person who took care of me in the orphanage. She was a girl who grew up in the orphanage and was never adopted because of her skin condition (albinism). I think it would be nice and thoughtful if I traveled back to China and thanked my caretaker in Chinese."

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Did you know that Gladney's Asia programs have Facebook pages and a Twitter account? Facebook and Twitter are a great way to quickly and easily get the latest information about what's going on in our Asia programs. You can also share your exciting adoption news on our Facebook pages or send us a tweet!

 

Be sure to "Like" our Facebook pages and to follow us on Twitter today! On Facebook, we can be found by searching Gladney Center - Taiwan Adoption Program and Gladney Center - China Adoption Program. Our Twitter name is GladneyAsia.

Is Your Child Ready for School?

"She has her backpack, pencils, and notebook. But does she know how to field adoption questions that might come her way?" Please click here to read this very timely article in Adoptive Families Magazine by Carol Rogers.

 

GFA Events Calendar

Throughout September, Gladney families came together across the U.S. to attend their local GFA Fall Kickoff events. As we head into October, the fun continues with events such as the Dallas GFA's 2nd Annual Halloweeen Road Rally.

To find the dates of your area's GFA kickoff and seasonal events click here.

Mid-Autumn NYC Harbor Cruise with CCCWA Delegation

The Mid-Autumn NYC Harbor Cruise is on Sunday!

It's not too late to join us!  You can still register through this link.  The forecast is sunny with the temperature reaching 68 degrees, perfect sailing weather!

If you are registered and have not submitted payment, please click here to pay online with a credit card.  In order to expedite the check-in process on Sunday and to make sure that no one misses the boat, we ask that all families take care of payment before the cruise.

Below are some helpful tips to ensure that you have the best cruising experience possible.

Tips for a Happy Harbor Cruise!

• All hands on deck!  Including little hands...please watch your children carefully during the entire cruise.  The Circle Line Boat that is hosting us often entertains babies and toddlers - but still...A parent must be with young children at all times during the cruise!
• A Chinese lunch will be served buffet-style.  Unlimited beverages throughout the cruise are also provided.  Fruits and snacks will also be available for the kids.
• There are many exciting activities planned for children of all ages.  There will be games for teens/tweens to play.  Activity, craft and quilt stations will be set up throughout the boat.  This year we have two face painters!
• There will be interpreters to help families communicate with the visiting officials - please don't hesitate to approach our guests and share stories about your family.
• Remember your camera to capture photos of this special day!

We look forward to seeing you on the boat!

"Celebrating Culture and Experiencing China" Winter Tour

Gladney Center is very excited to be part of the CCCWA "Celebrating Culture and Experiencing China" Winter Tour from December 23, 2012 - January 2, 2013. There is still time to sign up, but the October 31st application deadline is quickly approaching!

Gongzhan Wu, from the Gladney Center, will be joined by NCFA President Chuck Johnson to lead the tour that will begin with four days in Beijing. From there, tour participants will travel to several cities throughout China, including Xi'an, Chengdu, and ShangLi. The full itinerary and a list of frequently asked questions can be accessed at www.gladneyasia.org. All families with children adopted from China are invited to be part of this trip. It is possible for older, mature children to attend the trip unaccompanied by a parent.

 

If you are interested in participating, talk with your family today and start making plans! The best time to purchase international plane tickets for this trip to China will be during October. So, dust off your passports and get ready for the trip of a lifetime! For more information, please contact Gongzhan Wu at gongzhan.wu@gladney.org.

Webinar Tomorrow!

Have you registered for our Waiting Child Webinar that's schedule for tomorrow, Wed., Oct. 10th at 1pm EST? This informative webinar will focus on the process of adopting waiting children from China. The webinar will provide an overview of Gladney’s program as well as share photos of available children. You will get a detailed explanation of the Application and paperwork process involved with adopting internationally. Also, each month we will feature different children, with a variety of ages and special needs, who are available for adoption. At the end of each webinar we offer time for attendees to ask questions and will provide contact information for you to follow up with one of Gladney’s Asia Program Staff.

We hope you will be able to join us for our next webinar! Feel free to pass this invitation along to friends and family members that may also be interested.

CCCWA Delegates Visiting in October

A delegation comprised of CCCWA and civil affairs officials, along with orphanage directors will be in the United States for a three week training trip hosted by the National Council for Adoption (NCFA). They will be visiting multiple states while here and training sessions will be given by the US State Department, the Council on Accreditation, and the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. The delegation will be meeting with agency staff and adoptive families throughout their time here. Gladney's Asia Program Managing Director, Gongzhan Wu, is acting as the lead coordinator and will accompany the group throughout the training.

Gladney is looking forward to hosting the delegation and adoptive families on the NYC Harbor Cruise (see October 5th blog post for more details). When the delegation is in Texas, they will visit the Gladney Campus and take part in a training session with Gladney senior management. There is also a family gathering being planned. Details about this event will be available soon!

REMINDER - Register for CCCWA Cruise by today, Friday, October 5th!

Join CCCWA Delegates for the Mid-Autumn Cruise in NYC

Sunday, October 14!

If you have already registered for the cruise, we look forward to seeing you! If you have not, please do so now so that we have an accurate number for ordering the Chinese buffet lunch and other snacks. For a detailed invitation and registration information click here.

 

Announcing our Special Guests

We are excited to announce that several SWI Directors will be joining the current Deputy Director General of the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA), Ms. Gan Wei Wei, on the cruise. These Directors are looking forward to sharing the day with us and would be especially honored to meet the children who have been adopted from their province: Hohhot CWI (Inner Mongolia), Ningguo City SWI (Anhui), Yujiang County SWI (Jiangxi), Luoyang City CWI (Henan), Pingdingshan CWI (Henan), Wuhan City CWI (Hubei), Changsha City SWI #1 (Hunan)

 

Civil Affairs Directors from the following provinces will also be part of the delegation:

Guangdong, Chongqing, Gansu, Ningxia Hui, Xinjiang Uygur

 

Interpreters Needed!

As we know many families will want to share pictures and stories with the visiting officials, we are looking for additional translators to volunteer on this day. Please contact Allison James at allison.james@gladney.org if you can volunteer or know of anyone else who could help out during the cruise.

 

Commemorative Quilt Project

During the cruise, join us to create a commemorative quilt that will be presented to the CCCWA during the China Winter Tour. Have your child visit our quilt table to draw a picture, color their handprint or write a message. This quilt is intended as a symbol of love and hope for all the children waiting for forever families.

Recently in China Adoption News

• CCCWA has matched families with LIDs through September 24, 2006.
• CCCWA has reviewed dossiers with LIDs through April 30, 2012.
• CCCWA has issued Travel Approvals for 2 Gladney families in September!
• One Gladney family travelled to China to adopt their daughter in September!

Congratulations Butler family!!

Mia with her mom and dad in Shanghai

Read about the Butler's time in China here.

 

Gladney's Guang Ming Program 光明

Advocating for Children Who Wait

"Tyler" and "Kayley" are waiting for their forever families!
 

New profiles of available children through Gladney's partnership with Shanghai Children's Home are up on our blog! Check out our photolist page to see the latest information about these children. Email Judy Hayes at judy.hayes@gladney.org for the password, or ask your Gladney Asia caseworker.

 

Join us for Part TWO of a special webinar presentation series with Pat Marcus, Superkids volunteer, as we show pictures and talk about children available for adoption through Gladney's partnership with Jiangxi Province. We had an amazing response to our first webinar and we're not done! The presentation will be on October 4th at 7pm EST - register here for the webinar.

Webinar Tomorrow - Introducing our Jiangxi Referrals Part 2!!

Don’t forget to register for part two of an informational webinar series where we will talk about new children that are available for adoption through Gladney’s Guang Ming program! The webinar will be held tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 4th at 7pm EST. We will be joined by Pat Marcus, a pediatric physical therapist who volunteers her time and talents visiting children in orphanages with medical needs through Gladney’s Superkids Charity. The webinar will focus on new children that are available from Jiangxi Province as Pat recently met many of these children that are in need of loving families.

Please pass this invitation along to friends and family members that may also be interested. We hope everyone will be able to join us! Be sure to register for the webinar today!

Information about Re-adoption of a Foreign Born Child

"Help, I have been home for a while with my adopted child and I keep wondering if I should do a U.S. readoption?"

If your child entered the United States on an IR-3 or IH-3 visa, then your child is a U.S. citizen. In this case, a "Foreign Adoption Decree Recognition" or a "Re-adoption", while not a must, is how the U.S. courts can formally recognize your child's foreign adoption decree, thus creating a U.S. legal paper trail of your adoption. Through this process, you can do a legal name change (necessary for children adopted from Taiwan) and obtain a U.S. state issued birth certificate for your child.

However, if your child traveled to the U.S. on an IR-4 visa, re-adoption is a MUST! For families who adopted from China and Taiwan - this would most likely be the case if only one parent (in the case of a married couple) travelled overseas for the adoption. If you are a Gladney family and are concerned this might describe your child, please look at your child's U.S. visa that was placed in his or her passport to discern whether you have an IR-3 or IR-4 visa. Contact Camille Adams in Gladney's International Family Services/Postadoption Department at camille.adams@gladney.org if you have any questions.

All Gladney families, regardless of state of residence, may hire a Texas attorney for the re-adoption process. Gladney recommends: Susan I. Paquet of Brown, Pruitt, Peterson, and Wambsganss, P.C. (Fort Worth, TX / Phone: 817-338-4888, Email: spaquet@brownpruittlaw.com, Website: www.brownpruittlaw.com).Susan has been working in adoption law for over twenty years and has helped hundreds of families through this process. Completing a re-adoption in Texas is an efficient process that does not require a court appearance.

Families living outside of Texas may also choose to hire a local attorney to do the re-adoption or recognition in their local county court. If you prefer to complete the re-adoption in your home state, contact a local attorney for specific state and county requirements regarding re-adoption. We recommend that you select an attorney who is experienced in handling inter-country adoption so that you may obtain proper education about the process and feel confident that the individual you choose is handling the issues appropriately. An easy way to access adoption attorneys with the requisite experience, is by going to the on-line membership directory of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys.

For helpful information about automatic U.S. citizenship for internationally adopted children, read more about the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 click here.