Exciting News From SPOON

This spring has been an exciting season of growth for SPOON - see below for a link to SPOON's newest online nutrition resource, news of our team's recent trip to China, and diverse (and delicious) new info for families of adopted kids.

In the midst of all of this, our hearts are centered on Kazakhstan, where our work began. This month, our dream of reaching children in KZ baby houses with improved nutrition comes true - we'll be on hand for the unveiling of a new national baby house menu based on our groundbreaking study and advocacy there. And we're planning for the long-term to ensure that the new menu is effectively implemented. Read more below!

We are so grateful for the opportunity to improve nutrition for these little ones - and we couldn't do it without your support. Thank you!

Cindy and Mishelle
SPOON Co-Founders


The Latest Nutrition Profile

'From the day Zachary came home, he struggled with getting enough quality sleep...Several parents told me about the connection between low ferritin levels and sleep problems...and encouraged me to have him tested. Zachary's ferritin levels came back at an 11. They should be 30 or higher...' Read more…

Nutrition by Country: Mexico

Recently, in the Nutrition by Country section, we have added comprehensive nutritional information for children adopted from Mexico. Included in this section is a snapshot of the diverse, flavorful cuisine of Mexico, some deficiencies common among children born in Mexico, and a few delicious and nutritious recipes to try, like Mexican Brown Rice and Black Bean Tostadas. Yum!


The Orphan Nutrition Project

Kazakhstan: We began our work in Kazakhstan with the dream of creating change on a national scale. That dream is coming to fruition on May 29th and 30th, when a team of SPOON staff and advisors will be in Almaty to share in the announcement of a new nationwide diet for Kazakhstan's baby houses and to facilitate an initial training for baby house directors from across Kazakhstan and four other Central Asian countries. The new menu and feeding norms, based on SPOON's work in Kazakhstan over the past five years, have the potential to improve the lives of thousands of children without families to call their own. Stay tuned for reports from the field, later this month!

Our global reach: Springboarding from our orphan nutrition work in Kazakhstan, and as part of our "A Child's Best Start" partnership with Joint Council, SPOON staff members recently returned from their first trip to learn about child welfare institutions in China. Through initial observations and meetings, our team began to develop meaningful relationships and opportunities that will lead to improved nutrition for so many orphaned children in China.

OrphanNutrition.org goes live: SPOON is excited to announce the launch of OrphanNutrition.org – the companion website to our work with Joint Council to improve nutrition and feeding for children living without permanent parental care. At the heart of SPOON's mission is the understanding that proper nutrition is critical to every child’s growth and development, so we’re excited about the role that this new resource will play in helping caregivers meet the nutritional needs of orphaned children around the globe. Read more…


May Highlights

Join us in sending well wishes to SPOON co-founder Mishelle Rudzinski, who is leaving this week for China - she'll return in a few weeks, bringing home a sweet new addition to her family. Congratulations, Mishelle and big sister Bakha!

On May 3rd, hear from members of the SPOON team in an informative webinar: Introduction to Nutrition and Feeding for Internationally Adopted Children will take place on Thursday, May 3 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT. Register here.

Mothers' Day is May 13th! This Mothers' Day you can give a gift that supports SPOON, with a purchase of gorgeous jewelry from adoptive mom TS at Popli.