Who Are The Children Hopscotch Adoptions Serve?

While Father Christmas visited all the children of the world, these children may be some of the most beautiful and hope-filled children he visited. We happen to think so. Only, he could not yet bring the gift most wanted by all children… a forever family of their very own.

While many are touched by adoption, it is often forgotten that adopting a child is but only one way to help an orphaned child.

Of equal importance is your willingness to advocate for them by sharing positive adoption information, financially supporting others that are called and prepared to parent a child through adoption or simply   by being the friend, neighbor or family member that cheers an adoptive family on in their journey.
Make no mistake about this journey. The journey is difficult and long. The child waiting at the end of the family’s journey is worth every sacrifice necessary to bring them home.

Some of the faces in this video are home already, or soon to be, but most are still waiting.
Thanks for taking a moment to watch this video and share in their joy. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers that they too find their forever families.



Click here to see video.

Are You Thinking About Summer Already?

Source: http://www.adoptioncouncil.org

By Erin Bayles and Sarah Alger

“The camps are a lot of fun for me because I grew up in a pretty small town where there was not a huge Asian population, so it was a very special experience to get together with so many other Asian kids who were also adopted.”
– Nora Burgess, reminiscing about her experiences at adoption culture camps

 

 

Introduction

After being adopted from China as an infant, Nora Burgess and her mother, Phebe, attended two different culture camps. When Nora was in preschool they attended a three-day camp in Maine, run by Families with Children from China, where they met other families with adopted children from China. Year later, they went to another camp held at a YMCA facility in Asheville, North Carolina. Nora recalled that the camps heightened her interest in Chinese culture, as “they covered so many different topics: dance, singing, calligraphy, traditional children’s games, cooking, speaking, etc.” One special memory stuck with her: the camp counselors would perform traditional Chinese stories and dances and encourage the children to join in. Her mother Phebe’s favorite memory was the closing ceremony, which included a Dragon parade and performances by the children.

Now twenty-one years old, Nora continues to learn about her Chinese heritage through her studies at college. Overall, she said, she was glad her mother went with her to the culture camps, as they offered extended resources on her birth culture and supplemented her family’s own exploration in a fun, memorable way.

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What an Adoptee Wants You to Know About Adoption

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

By Madeleine Melcher

Disclaimer: I am but one person with my own experience. Adoptees are human beings, so of course our feelings and experiences vary from black to white to every shade of gray. I cannot and do not speak for everyone, but will always stand up for everyone to have a chance to speak.

When I was a baby, I lived in a car for a time. My birthmother left me behind one day and did not return. I was adopted when I was a little over a year old. Adoption is how I came to be with my family. I know people in supermarkets and school registration lines always seem to have a lot of questions when they see a family that was obviously built through adoption, and I certainly get a lot about mine, so in case you were wondering and because I have shared it with people since I was very young, this is what I want you to know in response to years of questions.

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The Hardest Part of Growing Up as a Transracial Teen

I appreciate this article so much. I find myself doing as this young author suggest by publicly making sure I call out or speak to my daughter or son when we get the 'ping ponging eyes' trying to discern our relationship. I know it is a sensitive need to be claimed. it meant a lot to me as a child and I know it means a lot to our kids too. Though sometimes, it can be a source of our own family inside humor too. Me (5'2') admonishing my 6'4" son on ordering coffee and telling him it will stunt his growth. People assume I am some busy body customer and of course it is an absurd comment, given his height. For our family inside jokes are also "claiming" and important - always a lot of fun with our kids.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

By Anna Eldridge

I was adopted from China as a baby by white parents in America. I have six great siblings and have loved all the fun that comes from growing up in a big family. I am still firmly in the pro-adoption camp at age 15, but there are definitely things I think parents should understand about growing older as a transracial adoptee.

Like all kids, I love the idea of becoming a young adult. I'll soon be able to drive, go out on dates and one day go to college. But there's one part about growing older that is difficult for me. I have found that as I age, it's harder for the public to acknowledge me as being a part of my family. It's much easier as a transracial adoptee when you are a little kid, because when people see you with your white parents, their brains click to, "Oh, that must be their adopted daughter." But as I grew into my teens and started to become a young woman, that definitely changed.

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Webmagazine Gazillion Voices

For All of Us in The Adoption Triad:

Read a recent NPR piece on the new adoptee-run and adoptee-focused Webmagazine Gazillion Voices http://gazillionvoices.com. Developed to create a platform for adoptees and their allies to bring topics important to the adoption community to life through rich, compelling, and thought-provoking content; the magazine includes personal, photo and film essays, literature reviews, podcasts, international cooking, and the arts and more.