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Uganda Adoption Information Teleconference

Little Miracles International | Tuesday, February 22, 2011 | 0 Comments
What: Why Uganda? Uganda Adoption Information Teleconference
Date: Thursday, February 24, 2011
Time: 7:30-8:30 PM Central Time
Where: Little Miracles Adoption Teleconference Line

LMI's Executive Director has just returned from a 5 week trip to Uganda! We cannot wait to let you know all about our program! Lori Scott has spent a total of 9 weeks in the last 6 months in Uganda to bring you a program we are happy and thankful for. We hope you can be a part of this call and decide whether Ugandan adoption is for your family.

If you're interested in adopting from Uganda, please join us on this call! You will learn about the Ugandan adoption process, current time-lines, children available, and most updated news. Learn about Little Miracles, and how our adoption agency works with families through the international adoption process. You will learn all about this wonderful country and the lovely orphaned children desperately needing homes in Uganda.

There will be a question and answer session during this call.


We would be honored to have you on this call! Please come to see if adopting from Uganda would be a perfect fit for your family!

Children of Hangzhou: Connecting with China

Anne Bentley | Thursday, February 10, 2011 | 1 Comment
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History presents a new exhibit, Children of Hangzhou: Connecting with China. In distinctively Chinese settings, guests will "meet" 4 Chinese children and learn more about their culture. The exhibit uses art and media to immerse visitors into Chinese culture while dispelling stereotypes and demystifying China.

10am-5pm daily. $14 adults; $10 seniors and kids 2-12; members free.

2010 Adoption Statistics

Anne Bentley | Monday, February 07, 2011 | 0 Comments
USCIS recently published their adoption statistics for 2010. The detailed report shows that the trend in international adoptions continues downward, from a peak of nearly 23,000 international adoptions completed in 2004 to just over 11,000 completed last year. While adoptions from top sending countries like China and Russia continue to decline, other countries have shown a marked increase in the number of adoptions.

The number of adoptions from Ethiopia grew again in 2010 but is leveling off after years of rapid increases. Since the Ministry of Justice in Bulgaria has started meeting regularly and giving out referrals the number of adoptions there more than doubled from 2009 and should continue to grow.

Despite wait times of over 4 years for many families, China remained the top sending country for international adoptions, followed by Ethiopia. Russia and South Korea remained the 3rd and 4th most popular sending countries. Due to its inability to meet Hague Convention obligations, Guatemala was replaced by Ukraine as the fifth most popular sending country.
Over 1000 Haitian orphans were issued special humanitarian visas following the earthquake which are not counted in the total numbers for Haiti.

Many factors have contributed to the drop in numbers of international adoption, from the financial crisis to longer wait times for referrals. As countries continue to implement new adoption regulations and as the financial picture continues to improve we hope to see an uptick in adoptions for 2011.

Giving Up

Anne Bentley | Wednesday, February 02, 2011 | 1 Comment

Adoptive parents give up a lot during the journey to their child. And while most people look at adoption as a gift to the child (of a family, stability, a future) we mustn't forget that the children--all adopted children--give up parts of themselves as they blend into their new families, cultures and lives. Let's do a little exercise, which I found on Shaun Groves's website. Number your paper from one to ten and follow along...

First, write down the name of the most significant person in your life.

1. Jim

Next, write down your most important role.

2. Mom

Now, write down your greatest support group. This might be friends, family, church--wherever you turn and/or whoever you lean on when you need to.

3. Emily

Write down your heritage.

4. Caucasian American

Now, write down the word 'Knowledge.' This represents what you know and what helps you get through your everyday tasks.

5. Knowledge

Write down your favorite place.

6. Home

Write down 'Cultural Information.' This represents everything you know about your culture.

7. Cultural Information

Now write down 'Resources.' This represents everything you own that has a value--material possessions.

8. Resources

Now, write down 'Values.' This represents your moral and ethical beliefs, faith, concepts of right and wrong, priorities, etc.

9. Values

Finally, write down the activity that bring you the most joy.

10. Watching my kids learn and grow.

Quite a list, right? This is the core of your being--everything from your cultural identity to your emotional pillars. Although it is hard to boil anyone's essence down to a list of 10 things, this list is a good start.

Now, which four things on the list could you live without? Put a line through them.

1. Jim
2. Mom
3. Emily
4. Caucasian American
5. Knowledge
6. Home
7. Cultural Information
8. Resources
9. Values
10. Watching my kids learn and grow.


Very well. Now, mark out two more.

1. Jim
2. Mom
3. Emily
4. Caucasian American
5. Knowledge
6. Home
7. Cultural Information
8. Resources
9. Values
10. Watching my kids learn and grow.


Great! Now two more. Two more things that make up who you are have to be marked off.

Can you even do it? As I pondered my own list I found it almost impossible to mark off six items; forget about going on with an additional two.

Now imagine this from an adopted child's perspective. What bit of grief and anxiety I felt as I tried to imagine my life without the things that truly define me are exponentially compounded for an adopted child. Whether adopted as an infant and looking for answers as they grow, or adopted as an older child and fully knowledgeable about what they have given up, it is important for all adoptive parents to realize the feelings of loss and mourning that their children can experience.