Meet Hugo and Maria

Maria (13) and Hugo (15) are siblings who were living in an orphanage in Colombia. Because of their ages, their chances of being adopted were slim. Even slimmer were their chances of being adopted into the same home. Hugo and Maria know this because early in 2010, their two youngest sisters were adopted. If not adopted by the age of 16, Hugo would be moved to a group home in another city. Recently, however, they were adopted together by Juleine.

Juleine shared, "While at a meeting with my foster daughter, I met Maria. She was in the U.S. with a hosting program. I had no intention of adopting (I already had a 20-year-old son and a 19-year-old foster child, both in college) but her situation made me very sad. I learned that the four children had made a pact that if any of them had the chance to be adopted, even if it meant being separated, that they would encourage each other to take the opportunity. I was totally appalled that a family of children would be put in a position to have to make that decision. I figured out the logistics of adopting two teens and made the decision to adopt both children."

Juleine traveled to Colombia at the end of November to bring her children home. A grant from Gift of Adoption made this trip possible - giving Maria and Hugo a permanent family and a chance to thrive.

Since deciding to move forward with this adoption, Juleine has become close with the couple who adopted Maria and Hugo's younger sisters. They have become an extended family for all four children and recently organized a bi-coastal visit between the two families. Everyone's commitment to helping the kids grow up as the family they are has had a very stabilizing effect on all of the children.

Life for the family has been exciting and hectic. Juleine shares, "It has been a crazy 2.5 months since we arrived in the US. Hugo started on the school soccer team his first day of school, and Maria started ballet the first of January. Our life is about what you would expect right now - lots of adjustments, learning and change. The kids are very resilient and I believe stand a very good chance of creating quality lives for themselves here. Their first report cards just arrived; my daughter got a 3.50 and my son a 3.20 gpa. My son's goal is to be a professional soccer player (although he has started asking about careers in math as a backup!), and my daughter wants to be a lawyer. What's down the road for us all is a definite unknown. Whenever I question the sanity of adopting two teenagers though, I remind myself that both of them have told me that they want to adopt children from Colombia some day. I'm taking that as an affirmation that they think it's a pretty good thing!"

Adoption Emerges as a Charitable Endeavor

Sharon Komlofske, of Wilmette, Karen Roddy, of Glencoe, and others
welcome Justice Anne Burke at an exclusive investor breakfast

Gift of Adoption welcomed Justice Anne Burke, Illinois Supreme Court Justice, as she addressed an intimate group of key Gift of Adoption stakeholders at a special breakfast hosted by Rick Waddell, CEO of the Northern Trust in Chicago on Feb. 24th. Gift of Adoption is the nation’s largest provider of adoption grants without regard to an applicant’s age, race, gender, creed, national origin, religion or marital status. They provide children in need of families a permanent, loving home.

Burke is a nationally respected advocate for children and shared her own personal stories of motherhood, adoption and her involvement with the foster care system. Burke, together with her husband, Alderman Edward M. Burke, are both foster and adoptive parents, and have raised five children amid demanding, public careers. Burke was candid and forthcoming about her family’s experience – about the joys of parenthood through adoption of the red head, blonde and dark haired Burkes and the joy of seeing the next generation of Burke children who are not only family blessings, but also making the world better – all because of the gift that is adoption.

Scott Simon, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition, adoptive father of two, and author of Baby We Were Meant For Each Other, made a special appearance from New York City and offered a warm introduction for Burke, and answered a few panel style questions. Simon remarked that, “Putting children who need love and care into families who crave the love of a child is one of the great unfinished endeavors of the world.”

Board Member, Karen Roddy, of Glencoe, shared that there are more than 140 million children worldwide, about 500,000 right here in the United States, who have been orphaned, abandoned, or taken from their parents due to extreme abuse or neglect. Gift of Adoption addresses the needs of these children by providing grants to qualified parents in order to complete the adoption process. Adoption gives these children permanent homes and the chance to thrive. Since 1996, The Gift of Adoption Fund has given away more than $2.26 million to unite more than 750 children with their forever families.

Gift of Adoption provides children with a last name, a legacy, and most importantly, a future. Learn more about the Gift of Adoption Investor Board.

Meet Chance, Chase, and Chloe

In April, we invited you to help Chloe's adoptive parents bring her two brothers, Chase and Chance, home from China. Once Ron and Vicki learned that their daughter had two siblings, they acted fast to adopt them before they grew too old to be adopted.

Generous donors helped to fund a $7,500 grant so that Ron and Vicki would not have to shoulder this burden alone. We are thrilled to let you know that Chase and Chance have officially joined Chloe in their forever family.

The three siblings have spent the summer getting to know their parents and other new siblings. They are also working on their English and learning more about what it means to be kids with parents looking out for them.

All three siblings are happy to be in school. They are fortunate to have teachers who are dedicated to helping them with their transition.


Vicki shares one of her favorite memories, the day the three siblings were reunited: "I can still recall getting that first glimpse of the boys! In the hotel lobby they came with the biggest smiles ever. They looked so incredibly happy, they couldn't stop smiling. It was all over their faces how thrilled they were that we had come back for them. Like a dream come true."

Birth Siblings

One of the funding priorities of Gift of Adoption is to unite biological siblings in the same home or prevent them from being separated. Last year, 15% of Gift of Adoption grants helped keep or unite biological siblings together in one caring and loving home. Adoptive Families magazine has a great article this month that speaks to the importance of birth siblings growing up together. Read the article here and then read about a recent Gift of Adoption grant that helped united Chloe with her brothers Chance and Chase.



We look forward to sharing photos and updates about Chloe's reunion with Chance and Chase with you soon.

Meet Vialancia, Jean & Jeanette

A month ago we invited you to be a part of funding the grant that would bring Haitian orphans Vialancia, Jean, & Jeanette home to Thomas and Amy's family after their adoptions were expedited following the devastating earthquake in January.

Thanks to the generous support of many, Gift of Adoption reached its grant goal of $7,000 on February 26. We are excited to share with you that all three children are now safely at home with their family in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.

Amy and Thomas were expecting to fly to Miami in early February to bring all three children home at the same time. Vialancia and Jeanette were successfully boarded on a flight from Haiti to Miami, but Jean has been left behind due to a delay in processing his paperwork.

After returning to Nebraska with the girls, Thomas flew back to Miami a week later to bring Jean home.

The whole family is now adjusting to their new routines. Amy recently shared, "The first time the whole family went to church together it really hit me. We had been going to church as a family of four for three years. It was super emotional to be in the church as a family of seven. I looked down the pew at the rest of my family and saw that Mary Beth (13), Anna (11) and Thomas were all teary eyed. Without words, we all felt the significance of the event."

The family extends their heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped to bring Vilancia, Jean & Jeanette home through their generous donations, "Quite honestly, I don't know how we could have made this happen without this grant. We thought we would have three years to save but then the earthquake brought them home in a matter of weeks."

The family's story was recently featured in two local newspapers. Click the links below to read more:
Omaha World-Herald
Washington County Pilt-Tribune & Enterprise

Haiti

The enormous tragedy in Haiti will have unknown effects on Haiti's international adoption program. As the number of newly orphaned children becomes known and as Americans come together to help in whatever way they can, there may be an increase in the number of families considering adoption from Haiti. If you are considering adopting from Haiti but are concerned the financial obstacle may be too large to overcome, Gift of Adoption may be able to help.

Gift of Adoption is a national charitable organization that inspires adoption by providing grants to qualified parents – giving children who need families a permanent home and a chance to thrive. Our focus is on giving children in need of families a chance to thrive. In doing so, we do not consider an applicant’s race, marital status, age, or religion in determining grant awards, only that they are qualified (as evidenced by a home study from a COA accredited agency), demonstrate financial need and have shown a commitment to funding the adoption on their own. Gift of Adoption awards adoption assistance grants monthly and our international grants program prioritizes grants that will help complete the adoptions of biological siblings into the same home, children who are in danger of aging out of an orphanage system, and children who have life-threatening medical conditions.

Gift of Adoption accepts grant requests from applicants adopting internationally from non-Hague Convention on Adoption member countries, such as Haiti, provided the adoptions are facilitated by a COA accredited agency. A full listing of COA accredited agencies can be found on the U.S. State Department's Intercountry Adoption website. Gift of Adoption funding criteria and priorities are outlined on our website.

For more information about adoptions from Haiti and current State Deprtment alers, please visit the U.S. State Department website

If you have any questions about the Gift of Adoption grant program, please contact grants@giftofadoption.org

Happy New Year from Gift of Adoption!

As 2009 draws to a close, we'd like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts -- and on behalf of the children and families whose lives you've improved through the gift of adoption.

We are making a bigger difference this year than ever before. With your efforts we're striving to put adoption in reach for 100 children this year; kids like Gabi for whom there is no gift as precious as a family that will love her forever.

I think this story says it all; one night Gabi came to us and said that she had a dream. These were Gabi's words:

'I sad -- Mama, Papa, Hailee and I'm go Bulgaria - I'm stay Bulgaria - Mama, Papa, Hailee go America - I'm sad in Bulgaria , no Mama, Papa, Hailee to love me.'

Needless to say these words broke our hearts - we did our best to explain that she was ours forever and that wouldn't happen. During this conversation we learned that Gabi always had this fear with her foster mom because she knew that she could be sent or taken back to the orphanage at any time. She also knew that her foster mom was 'old, old' (according to Gabi) and that if something happened to her they would send Gabi back to the orphanage. Constant reassurance has helped, along with hugs and holding. But it was a little ornament that she found in her stocking that seemed to get the point across to her. The ornament is a heart and written across the heart it says "Forever Family". She clutched that little ornament in her hand and told us that she was happy now. Knowing that she is a part of our family forever has given her peace - a peace she would have never had without adoption!

Without your generosity our adoption would not have been possible."


May you and your family enjoy peaceful, happy holidays!

Your friends at the Gift of Adoption Fund