Adoption ARK - Kazakhstan

My Son Michael

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:13:00 +0000

By Dee Thompson

My journey to adopt my son Michael began in 2005, when I saw a photo of a little boy on the Adoption Ark website which had photos of special needs kids. He was a tiny burr-headed boy, scowling at the camera. He was 9 years old, and had lost his right hand to frostbite before entering the orphanage. I took one look at him and knew he was my son. He was born the same month my father had died. I took it as a sign.

I finally had the money to start the adoption in spring 2006, and one year later I was able to travel to Kazakhstan and meet Michael, whose name in the orphanage was “Igor.” I was not prepared for how tiny he was. He was the size of an American first-grader, and very white. He had a nice smile, though, and bright inquisitive eyes.

Over a period of several weeks, I visited the orphanage every day, and got to know Michael well. He liked playing games, and hearing my stories. He loved sports and he was a jokester. He was very smart, and very kindhearted. He had a rough start in life, with his alcoholic birthmom until age 8, and often homeless. He is not bitter or disturbed though. He is very resilient.

Adoption Ark did a wonderful job of guiding me through the adoption, especially Alla, who was great about answering questions and being encouraging. She knew I had a daughter adopted from Russia and that first adoption [not through Adoption Ark] had been very difficult. The process with Michael [who chose that name himself] was much easier.

Michael has been home 4 ½ years now, and he is the light of my life. He is sweet and funny. He is a very smart boy. After being here less than a year he was able to skip a grade in school and within a short time was making all A’s and B’s. He also loves to play tennis and baseball, and is a credit to his teams. He likes videogames and movies, roller skating, and playing Wii games. He has many friends and is a leader among his peers.

I do not consider my son “handicapped” in any way. He does everything he wants to do, with or without his prosthetic. Additionally, he is a wonderful artist, and helps with home repairs. His limb difference barely slows him down.

There are so many children all over the world who desperately need a family. I know many families who have adopted non-babies and/or special needs children and had very happy results.

If you’d like to hear more of our story, check out my blog The Crab Chronicles, http://deescribbler.typepad.com/my_weblog/

What I Never Knew About Special Needs Adoption

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:02:00 +0000

Finding Ellie
February 26, 2010
By Denise Emma

Adopting a little girl from Kazakhstan has been a wondrous and eye opening journey. I have two biological children and years of professional experience with children. However, sometimes even experienced parents can find they are not adequately prepared for some issues.

In August of 2008, my husband and I decided to pursue the adoption of a special needs child waiting in Kazakhstan (although at the time we had a completed dossier in China to be matched with a healthy infant). Our new agency, Adoption Ark, returned my inquiry about this little one within the day and furnished us with brief information and a picture of her infectious and crooked smile. Our adopted daughter was born with cleft lip and palate and had been in an orphanage since her birth. Her lip had been repaired by a team of foreign surgeons (such as Smile Train or Doctors Without Borders) but in the roof of her mouth remained an open gap up into the back of her nose. This girl was in great need of a family, as it was unlikely a local family would adopt her. As a toddler she was not yet speaking but she was described as "otherwise healthy," a term I'd found ambiguous and had come to see often in the international adoption world. As a trained and practicing speech-language pathologist, I was readily able to prepare for the possibilities. We would face future surgeries, possible feeding or hearing difficulties, speech and voice issues. I read and absorbed as much as I
could from the Internet and prepared my boys at home for the difference they would see and hear in their new sister.

There was a lot of preparation that went into our adoption. My agency and friends were supportive in suggesting books and articles. Not only were we adopting a child with special needs, but a toddler that had been institutionalized since birth. However, once my daughter was placed in my arms and she began to literally "open up" over the two weeks we spent getting to know her at her orphanage, I realized that there were some serious issues I had not prepared for. I could not have prepared for what I was yet to discover.

- I never knew that before I left the country of Kazakhstan with my "speech
impaired" daughter, she would be speaking over 20 words in English.which was 19 more than she was able to say in her native language.
- I never knew that at two and half she would eat soup from a spoon and drink from an open cup better than her American and non-special needs counterparts.
- I never knew that the little girl who couldn't walk more than several yards without tiring came home with the strength and perseverance of a professional athlete in training.
- I never knew that my "special needs child" would touch the lives of total strangers.
- I never knew that a 2-year-old could be so genuinely grateful for pretty clothes, warm dinner and a family to call her own.
- I never knew that she would be the one to calm me the night after her first surgery.
- I never could have imagined that an infant who was growing without her biological mother could have such a strong connection with me that she could literally read my mind.
- I never knew that in preschool my "special needs child" would be a role model of language and social skills for other children.
- I never knew that her older brothers with their own busy lives would be so touched by her in our family.
- I never knew that when we stepped out in faith, changed directions and took a risk to make a difference in a little girl's life, that we would be the ones whose lives were changed beyond measure. We were not prepared for all the greatest of things to come.

If you are a family considering "special needs" and/or toddler adoption, you should be warned that you couldn't prepare for everything. There are some hidden blessings and unexpected pleasures to find along the way.

Sent by God

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Thu, 19 May 2011 18:00:00 +0000

God gave me the desire to adopt at a young age - as a teenager. Alex and I wanted to have a biological child first, and then adopt our second child. Four years later, after fertility treatments and two miscarriages, we had our son Nathan. That firmed up the decision we had already made about adopting. We felt that God was leading us to adopt. When Nathan turned one, we selected Adoption Ark as our agency and began the journey.

We felt led to go with an international adoption from an orphanage. My heart was broken by the thought of a child being left at an institution and feeling no motherly love. We fell in love with the idea of a daughter. We
experienced some setbacks and difficulties but accepted it as being God's will. We believed he was leading us to the child that was meant to be our child.

After working on our adoption two and a half years, we were invited to travel. We received a referral on a baby boy. How could we be so fortunate to get a six month old? The month we spent with him was wonderful. He was a very affectionate, bright and active baby. More than we could have hoped
for! We enjoyed meeting all the coordinators/translators and other adopting families in Kazakhstan and learning about the culture. After returning home from the first trip, we anxiously awaited the second trip.
Our three year old son Nathan couldn't wait to get his brother!

We've had Sammy for six months now. We named him "Samuel" because we have asked for him from God. We'll admit, it has been a tough adjustment for all of us. At ten months old, Sammy was very overwhelmed by all the new surroundings and stimulation. He loudly protested any type of restriction. We prayed hard for patience and knowledge in dealing with our new son.

Now, at almost 17 months old, Sammy has become a very loving and intelligent toddler. He's still very active and tries to copy whatever his older brother is doing. Sammy now understands English very well and has learned to say a few words. We're so glad that we have expanded our family by adopting. It's been a joy to watch him develop!

The Sabo Family,
Alex, Sherry, Nathan & Samuel,
Plainfield, Illinois

Adopting a Large Sibling Group

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:34:00 +0000

Being a mom of 4!
Me and my husband adopted a sibling group from Kazakhstan on Winter 2010-2011 with help of Adoption Ark Inc. We have one biological son and brought home three kids:
Valeria 5 yrs
Victoria 3yrs
David 2 yrs
We have decided not to leave them and stayed in Kazakhstan through the entire process, we stayed at the orphanage for 9 weeks and came back to the U.S with the three of them on Feb 08, 2011. I became a mom of 4 kids. Let me introduce them to you:
Valeria:
The 1st day we met Valeria , she did not even look at us or smile or even lifted her eyes from the ground, our meeting lasted less the 5 minutes and left us with and empty heart and lots of fear. The very next day I went to the director of the orphanage and asked her for the time we will meet Valeria again. She told me to go to her classroom and take her out to spend some time with her. I was very scared after our first meeting but I went by myself to get her. The first thing I saw after the door opened was Valeria sited at her small desk, she looked at me and gave me the biggest smile, she ran to me and jumped to my arms. I hold her on my arms for over 3 hrs., and since then she is very close to my heart.
Victoria:
For the first 5 weeks she was with us , she waked up in the middle of the night crying I will move into her bed and sleep with her for the rest of the night.
One night she just did not wake up but I still moved into her bed and want to wake up with her. the next morning she hold my face with her two little hands and she told me she dream of me and her, and she has not cry in the middle of the night since then.
David:
Every morning he wake up and crawl into Victoria bed and sleep for a bit longer with her. One day two weeks ago (after 10 weeks since we arrived from Kazakhstan) he waked up and look at Victoria and looked at me and open his arms to me and said "Yo Mi Mama" in Spanish, what means I want my Mother, since that day he looks for me for love and comfort and became "My baby".
Samuel (our biological 7 yrs. old son):
After waiting for over two years for his sibling (was supposed to be one only child around 4-6 yrs.) his first words after finding out he was getting three siblings from Kazakhstan were: "WE WON THEM, WE GOT THE BIGGEST PRIZE"
We are incredibly happy with our adoption experience and love Adoption Ark.
Happy Mother's day to all, for the ones who are holding their children in their arms and to the ones who are holding their child in their heart.
Paloma Negev and the Negev Family
Northridge, California

After Two and a Half Years...

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:17:00 +0000

We adopted our daughter Renee 2.5 years ago, and I can honestly say that
this would have never happened without Adoption Ark. I had reservations of
adopting internationally and researched a handful of agencies before
choosing Adoption Ark. I chose them because they had excellent references
from other families who had positive experiences, and they appeared to have
a great degree of integrity in how they conducted business.
There are many times when unpredictable circumstances intervene with an
adoption and our adoption was no exception. There were plenty of ups and
downs, having to be flexible when you didn't feel you could, etc.
Regardless, Adoption Ark was there to support us in the process and assure
us with any delay that it was important we be patient so proper protocols
are followed. Every parent wants short cuts and exceptions, but with
Adoption Ark they insist everything be done properly, all documents that we
present be authentic, and complete.
Once we arrived in Kazakhstan, we were again in the best of hands. We
spent 10 weeks in Kazakhstan and met families who were adopting with other
agencies. Most of their experiences were more trying than ours because
their agencies did not have the expertise in working with the legal system
there whereas our agency coordinator was familiar with how to handle every
obstacle we encountered. Overall, I would have to say we had a very, very
smooth adoption and that is solely due to Adoption Ark knowing exactly what
it takes to have a successful adoption in Kazakhstan.
-Respectfully submitted, Michelle and Brett Sandberg

Adoption Tax Credit Form

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:35:00 +0000

The Adoption Tax Credit can be confusing. Please visit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQryETwRziA for more information on the
qualifications and filing instructions. You can also view the form at
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8839.pdf

Bringing Laura home

noreply@blogger.com (Alla Afinogenova) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 19:21:00 +0000

Laura joined us as her forever family on Gotcha Day October 28th, 2010. For anyone
considering adopting a waiting child, don't hold back - you will be constantly surprised and blessed! Laura has limb difference. She was born with her right leg shorter than her left, but she has never let it slow her down. We traveled to Kazakhstan for our first trip in July, and truly enjoyed our time in Kazakhstan. No adoption journey is easy (or short) but persistence, patience and faith win out in the end. Once we were home, we celebrated Laura's 4th birthday in November, and quickly found the holidays upon us. When we step back and think about it...it's hard to remember what we did when Laura was waiting for us. Her strong will and
fearless spirit inspire us daily. We wish the best for everyone going to the process. The smiles at the end of the trip make it all worth it!
Patrick Hittle,
Stafford, Virginia

Adoption Alert

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:08:00 +0000

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children's Issues
____________________________________________________________________________
____

January 13, 2011

According to the Government of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Education (MoE), all
pending adoption dossiers that were not matched with children by December
15, 2010, will be returned and will have to be re-filed as Hague Convention
cases once the Hague Convention is fully implemented. The Department of
State will continue to monitor the developments in Kazakhstan and seek the
confirmation of the Government of Kazakhstan when the new Hague Convention
adoption process is in place. U.S. prospective adoptive parents whose
dossiers are returned may refer to the description of the Hague Convention
intercountry adoption process (the Form I-800A/I-800 process).

Affected prospective adoptive parents with an approved Form I-600A for
Kazakhstan wishing to request a transfer of their approved Form I-600A to
enable them to adopt from another non-Hague Convention country should refer
to the USCIS website.

Our Faith walk to Kazakhstan to adopt a child with Adoption Ark

noreply@blogger.com (Alla Afinogenova) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:26:00 +0000

Our Faith walk to Kazakhstan to adopt a child with Adoption Ark.

In late 2008 my wife Michelle felt called to adopt a child. I wasn’t ready to give up on “us” having a child of our own yet though.

From time to time Michelle would sweetly talk to me about considering adoption. We even went to a couple adoption meetings, but I really didn't hear what they said because I still had "my" plan and it didn't involve adoption. Michelle told me about the country of Kazakhstan and the opportunity to adopt from there, but I wasn’t interested.

Then a couple months later we had missionaries at our Church talking about the work they are doing in Uzbekistan and they showed a map projected on a huge wall that showed Kazakhstan as big as life. Of course when I noticed that I could not concentrate on anything they said, and Michelle started jabbing me in the side as if to say "God is showing you the writing on the wall you asked for!" That Sunday our Pastor asked a question during his sermon “What is your greatest goal in life - your defining purpose?”. Without any hesitation I wrote on my outline “To make a difference in the life of a child”. That moment in time is a line in the sand for me, a turning point in my life. That began our adoption journey.

Michelle told me that she had talked to a really nice woman named Dina from Adoption Ark many times over the past couple months. Michelle knew that if I ever did agree to adopt a child I would have a million questions, so thinking ahead Michelle had already asked Dina most of them.

I didn’t want to just jump into this so I thought and prayed about it a lot. I even did a bit of my own research and countless families told me about the great experience they had had with Adoption Ark. On February 29, 2009 we signed our adoption contract with Adoption Ark.

We were assigned to work with a very nice woman by the name of Maeven who would be our coordinator. Over the following 18 months I spoke with Maeven countless times on the phone and via email. She was always helpful and very professional. We were so impressed with Maeven and Adoption Ark that in September 2009 we drove all the way to Buffalo Grove, IL to meet her and see the agency! During the process we also worked with another very nice lady by the name of Alla. Both Maeven and Alla took care of all of our needs and answered all of our questions.

After months and months of waiting (as an excited father-to-be not very patiently) we were told in June 2010 that our LOI had arrived and that we would be traveling soon to UST-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan.

On August 2nd we arrived in Kazakhstan. The in-country coordinator met us at the airport and told us that the next day we would be visiting the baby house to select a child to adopt!

The following day we met our translator and we went to the baby house. Once there we were introduced to two babies and we selected a 7 month old baby boy to bond with. What an exciting and emotional day. We were holding the most beautiful baby boy I had ever laid my eyes on. I couldn’t hold the tears back. It was such a powerful moment!

Over the next 20-something days we visited this precious baby boy and fell in love with him more each day. It was apparent that he started to know us as the days went on. Our time together would fly right by and we would watch the clock until the next time we would get to go see him.

During our free time we had the opportunity to enjoy the region of UST-Kamenogorsk. This is a very beautiful place. The people were very nice, the food is “different” but really good and there is so much to do and see! Our translator, Olga, became like part of our family. She went many places with us and helped us find our way around town and talk for us since we only knew a few Russian words/phrases. It was so great to have her help and friendship!

On our last day in Kazakhstan we went to court to request the adoption of the baby boy we bonded with. The judge granted our request! We then departed Kazakhstan after being there for the entire month of August and headed home as we waited for our son’s appeal period to pass and his passport/VISA to be prepared. It was 64 of the longest and hardest days of our lives that we were apart.

Near the middle of October we were told that everything was set and we could return to pick him up and bring him home. On October 29, 2010 we were finally reunited with the baby boy that we fell in love with in August! He was now officially our son! After a few more days in Kazakhstan to do the necessary paperwork we returned to the USA.

On November 4th as the wheels on the airplane touched the runway at O’Hare International Airport the tears began flowing from my eyes. Our son Matthew was officially a U.S. citizen!

It was very hard to leave Kazakhstan and still one month later it pulls at my heart. Kazakhstan is different from the United States. The people, the food, the things to see are just unbelievable. It is a part of our life that we will never forget!

Because of the people at Adoption Ark, our in-country coordinator, our translator and driver we were able to have the best experience of our life and most important we were able to become the parents of an absolutely adorable baby boy!

We are so grateful to Adoption Ark for making our journey be such a pleasant experience! Adoption Ark is the best!!!

Thank you,

Jim, Michelle & Matthew
From Michigan

Adoption Alert - Kazakhstan

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Issued by:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children's Issues
November 24, 2010
According to the Government of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Education plans to match all families with pending adoption dossiers with children before December 15, 2010. Once these matches are made, the adopting parents will be invited to travel to Kazakhstan for the mandatory three-week bonding period with the children. Adopting parents who decline to travel to Kazakhstan to bond with the children with whom they are matched will not be able to proceed with an adoption in Kazakhstan under the existing adoption process; their "pending dossier" will be closed.

Adoption ARK's Report Card

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:40:00 +0000

Adoption ARK is very excited to share with you our latest survey results. Our “Report Card” reflects our commitment to orphaned children and the clients that we serve. International Adoption is not just a job; it’s a calling. At Adoption ARK, we are honored to assist you in adopting a child and we thank you for choosing us as your international adoption agency. Thank you to all the clients that participated.

View Adoption ARK’s Report Card at http://www.adoptionark.org/upload/adoptionarkreportcard_87895.pdf

Sincerely,
The Team at Adoption ARK
(847) 215-2755

Follow Adoption ARK on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/adoptionark
Visit our YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/user/AdoptionArk

Adopting one child won't change the world; but for that child, the world will change.

U.S. State Department Notice - Kazakhstan

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:47:00 +0000

June 29, 2010

In May 2010, the Kazakhstani Embassy in Washington and Consulate General in New York stopped accepting new intercountry adoption dossiers. The Kazakhstani government said this policy on new adoption cases will remain in effect until the Hague Adoption Convention (the Convention) enters into force for Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has indicated that it intends to enact its implementing legislation by September 2010. Kazakhstan will then need to issue Convention regulations before the Convention enters into force, so it is unclear when new adoptions will be processed there.

The Kazakhstani government has informed the Department of State that it will continue to process any cases for which the Kazakhstani Embassy or Consulate General had sent the prospective adoptive parents’ dossiers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by May 25, 2010. These will be considered transition (“non-Hague” or Form I-600) cases; the policy on new cases will not affect the processing of these adoptions. For more information, you may wish to check the Kazakhstani Embassy’s adoption Web pages.

At this time, prospective adoptive parents should not attempt to initiate any new adoptions in Kazakhstan. The Kazakhstani government will not process any new “non-Hague” or Form I-600 cases. Additionally, since the Convention has not entered into force for Kazakhstan, USCIS cannot process a Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, where the applicants indicate their intention to adopt a child from Kazakhstan.

Adoption Alert: Kazakhstan

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Mon, 24 May 2010 18:11:00 +0000

Issued by the U.S. Department of State on May 24, 2010

On May 17, 2010, U.S. Embassy Branch Office Almaty confirmed that the Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan has instructed Kazakhstan’s Embassy in Washington and Consulate General in New York not to accept new intercountry adoption dossiers. The Ministry said the moratorium on new adoption cases will remain in effect until Kazakhstan

implements a system that is compliant with the Hague Adoption Convention; Kazakhstan intends to put such a system in place by September 2010. Kazakhstani officials have said the moratorium will not affect adoptions that are already in process.

Kazakhstan Adoption Alert

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:17:00 +0000

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bureau of Consular Affairs

Office of Children’s Issues

May 19, 20010

On May 17, 2010, the U.S. Consulate General in Almaty received confirmation that the Ministry of Education in Kazakhstan has given instructions to the Kazakhstani Embassy and Consulate in New York not to accept new dossiers for inter-country adoptions. The Ministry said that this moratorium on new adoption cases will remain in effect until Kazakhstan implements a Hague Convention-compliant system, which it intends to have in place by September 2010. Kazakhstani officials have confirmed that this moratorium will not affect adoptions already in process.

An Adoption ARK Success Story by the Couture Family

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:54:00 +0000

I was an only child and a very happy one so when my husband and I had our son I was content and thought I was finished having children. Then, one day my husband mentioned to me something he had heard about an orphanage in Istanbul. It made us think, “What if our son were in an orphanage and no one adopted him because by standards at only the age of 5 he was “old”? We decided to adopt an “older” child.

There were some delays and by the time all of our paperwork and clearances were finished our son was 7 so we decided to adopt a child between the ages of 5 and 7. We agreed to accept a referral in Kazakhstan for a little boy named Igor. He was 7 and the oldest of the children we were considering.

From the first moment I saw this nervous boy I knew we were taking him home. Though he did not speak anything but Russian you could tell that he was scared that we might not like him and that he wanted to please us. Can you imagine that type of pressure? After two weeks of visiting him and the other orphans at the orphanage and another two weeks of waiting we went to court and he became part of our family. We changed his name to Edgar (close to Igor) and my other son gave him a middle name of James, which he liked because of James Bond. Soon he came to America to see his new home and meet the rest of his family.

The language barrier was never an issue. We all got really good at playing charades to get our points across and I guess when you have something to say you pick up a language out of necessity. Teaching the rules was a little challenging but not any more so than teaching my other son. It was just a lot to learn in a short time. I made picture charts to help and it worked beautifully.

The really fun part is that everything is new. People think about things like Christmas being new, which they are, but even having a pizza delivered to your home is exciting!

Flash forward 9 months. I can’t imagine life without both of my boys! They genuinely love one another though they fight like biological brothers. They play, play, and play. In fact as I am typing this they are both outside trying to build yet another fort together.

In school Edgar is at level in math and is quickly catching up in English. Unfortunately he has forgotten how to speak Russian though he does understand it. The entire school loves him! He has many friends and considered well behaved and very popular.

His extended family loves him just as much as he loves them. He bonds quickly with anyone that shows him love. He loves meeting new family members.

Really the hardest part of having Edgar is putting him to bed at night. He doesn’t understand why I have to stop him at about 100 kisses because of a bedtime.

Anyone thinking that an “older” child is “ruined” is wrong! My little “old” boy is wonderful and adopting him was one of the best decisions we have ever made!

Nikki Couture and family

News from Kazakhstan

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:45:00 +0000

Kazakhstan is seriously considering becoming a Hague Convention Country which means that some changes might occur in the Kazakhstan adoption program. There is no certainty when the country will be undergoing any changes and how it will affect adoptive families.

The Team at Adoption ARK

A Very Happy Day

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:50:00 +0000

About 3 yrs ago, when we decided to adopt, we had no idea that adoption could be such a hard process. It took us a while to finalize our agency and the adoption country but we feel glad that we chose “Adoption Ark”.

Adoption Ark and our case worker Maeven were very good in providing guidelines for the process as well as any help that we needed during the process. International adoption which involves so many institutes and people, it is hard to expect the things to go perfect but I can’t think any things would have gone better for us. Our trip to Kazakhstan went very well with the support of the coordinator and translator over there. The memories of the orphanage where we got to meet our 3 kids Alex, Victor and Angel are just unforgettable for us. Each of the kids that we got to meet in orphanage was beautiful and had a desire to have a family. During the little time we spent over there, we discovered a whole different world far from home – entirely different culture, food, language but it mattered less as our kids still understood the language of love. Far from home, We built some strong relations with the other families who were also there for adoption which made things to go easier.

It was very happy day when we brought our kids home. Our Alex is 5 yrs, Victor is 4 yrs and Angel is 2 yrs. We started the adoption process with desire to adopt 1 child and we can’t really explain how and when it changed to 2 and then to have 3 children but we always feel that it was God’s plan for us. First few months, when it had been just challenging to teach kids a new way of life, it feels good to see the results as they are quickly adopting the language, environment, home. There are ups and downs but it is beautiful.

Our heartiest Thanks go to “Adoption Ark” for helping us in our journey to Adoption.

Exciting News About the Adoption Tax Credit

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:41:00 +0000

Adoptive Parents and future adoptive parents can breathe a sigh of relief. The Adoption Tax Credit has been renewed, increased, and made refundable.

· Was extended until December, 2011

· The adoption tax credit increased from $12,170 to $13,170

· And, is now refundable instead of just being credited to the amount owed

This is great news for new adoptive parents and those parents planning to adopt in the near future. If you are considering adoption please give Adoption ARK a call! We would love to help you work on your budget and adoption plans.

USCIS Centralizes Processing of Orphan Adoptions Change will Streamline Processing

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:46:00 +0000

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced
that on April 1, 2010, it is centralizing processing and adjudication of all
new orphan (Non-Hague) petitions with the agency's specialized adoptions
team in Missouri.
Prospective adoptive parents will continue to file their Petition to
Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative (Form I 600) and Application for
Advance Processing of Orphan Petition (Form I 600A) with USCIS' Dallas
Lockbox facility. The Lockbox will forward the case to the Orphan Unit at
USCIS' National Benefit Center (NBC) for processing and adjudication. The
applicant will receive a receipt notice with the NBC address and contact
information for follow-up correspondence.
While this takes place behind the scenes, adoptive parents will benefit
because it allows USCIS to:
* Process applications and petitions more efficiently,
* Streamline and standardize work processes, and
* Offer more consistent service.
Parents will also benefit from the specialized skills and experience of the
NBC Non-Hague Adoption Unit, based on the NBC's implementation of the USCIS
Hague Adoption Convention program in 2008.
USCIS has dedicated a toll-free NBC Adoption telephone line, 1-877-424-8374
and published an Orphan Home Study Tip sheet (Form M-760) to aid adoption
service providers and prospective adoptive parents.
Local USCIS field offices in the United States will continue to accept
requests for extensions and change of circumstances for approved Form I-600A
applications in accordance with the current filing instructions. Overseas
U.S. citizens may continue to file Form I-600 at a U.S. Embassy, consulate
or USCIS office abroad that has jurisdiction to accept the petition.
However, in order to file a Form I-600 petition abroad, the petitioner must
have an approved Form I-600A and be physically present in the adoptive
child's country.
Prospective parents who reside abroad may continue to file the Form I-600A
with an overseas USCIS office or the Dallas Lockbox facility.
For more information on orphan adoptions visit:
http://www.uscis.gov/adoptions.

Preserving Cultural Identity in an Internationally Adopted Child

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:37:00 +0000

March 21 is the holiday Navruz. Navruz is the Persian New Year celebrated in countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

My daughter, adopted from Uzbekistan two years ago, is now 5 years old. This week she was running a list of pending holidays - St. Patrick's Day, Navruz, Easter, her birthday. She came home from school on St. Patricks Day and announced that she hates Navruz. She could not give a concrete answer to why however she still maintains that she hates Navruz. My husband and I assumed that maybe she mentioned this holiday at school and her friends did not know what she was talking about so she got embarrassed and felt different. Additionally, this holiday is from Uzbekistan which reminds her of her life that was less than desirable so she often rejects anything to do with Uzbekistan. My husband and I told her that although everyone in the United States does not celebrate Navruz, we celebrate Navruz in our family. This morning when I was taking to her to school , we had a discussion about what we were looking forward to at school or work today. I told her that I was looking forward to writing the Friday Newsletter and that I got to share with the families about Navruz. She said, "Oh, you can be creative and write about it. You can tell the families about Navruz so they know how to celebrate with their kids when they get to come to their homes. That is great for them to know but I still hate Navruz."

This really has been a strange experience for me - trying to figure out how to balance that promise I made to honor & cultivate her cultural identity and at the same time not bring up such painful memories all the time. I called a friend who is a long time adoptive parent of two children from other countries and questioned her about this subject. She told me that a counselor said to keep celebrating and honoring the culture even if the child is not really into it right now. Also, to try and bring humorous and fun stories of the child 's past life from their country - try to remember any cute stories you were told about the child or just anything funny that happened while you were in country with your child. This helps to bring positive feelings to the situation. The child eventually will have a time when self-identification is going to become a major developmental milestone - and cultural heritage will be a part of the process - so it is important to have always honored the cultural in a positive way for that time. So, we will celebrate Navruz on Sunday and the days following it -embracing a wonderful holiday and providing a positive experience from our daughter's birth place.

~ Ally Griffith

Mom to McKenna - adopted from Uzbekistan 2008

Free Seminar "Parenting Children from Haiti and Other Hard Places"

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:07:00 +0000

Adoption Learning Partners is pleased to bring you this webinar in cooperation with The Evan B. Donaldson Institute and the Joint Council on International Children's Services.

Dr. Karyn Purvis will spend one hour answering parents' questions on parenting their children from Haiti, and other "hard places" (which she will define). Feel free to ask questions about attachment, sleep issues, behavior challenges, family dynamics, or any other challenge you are facing.

Questions should be submitted in advance by completing the form below (please include your child's age). They will be read to Dr. Purvis by our moderator. We'll get to as many questions as time allows.

Dr. Purvis is co-author of the book "The Connected Child," and the Director of the Institute of Child Development at TCU. Her focus is on research based interventions for vulnerable children. She travels extensively, providing training and consultation for families and professionals working with at risk children.

Please register at http://www.bluestreakwebinars.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=ED50DD8985

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:53:00 +0000

Sandra Bullock won the Oscar for Best Actress last night for her role in the movie ‘The Blind Side.’ If you haven’t seen the movie yet, it is about Michael Oher, a homeless, traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick after being taken in by a caring woman and her family. In her acceptance speech Sandra said, “what this film was about for me, which are the moms that take care of the babies and the children no matter where they come from." Adoption ARK couldn’t agree more! Today, on International Women’s Day, Adoption ARK would like to say thank you to all the mom’s that have loving cared for adopted children. Please remember…Adopting one child will not change the world; but for that child the world will change. The world changed for Michael Oher and countless other the day their moms took them in their arms and began a life-long pursuit of loving them unconditionally.

FW: Great Story Written from an Adoptee Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Adoption Ark) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:54:00 +0000

The article, The Case for International Adoption, is a wonderfully written, very informative example of why International Adoption is such an important aspect of our society. Written by Jeneen Interlandi, an adoptee from Columbia, the article tackles the issue of adoptees being able to develope a cultural identity within a family of a different ethnic background. In the end Jeneen concludes , what matters most is not where a child is from, but whether or not that child is well loved and well cared for by a responsible family—regardless of race or nationality.

Click here to read The Case for International Adoption by Jeneen Interlandi