Month: August 2019

I write today with a full heart.  Last we shared about the host kiddos, we were saying goodbye.  It was so hard, for both the kids and the families, to say goodbye.  These 19 children embedded themselves into so many hearts during their stay here.  But we dried our tears, and we started to get to work on advocating for the children who did not yet have committed families. 

In the several days following the goodbye, Letters of Intent started coming in from the host families who are planning to adopt their host children.  We rejoiced with receipt of each letter, and our advocacy list got smaller and smaller.  Until we had one boy left.  I reached out to his host family asking for pictures, stories, just anything they could share about their host child, so I could write about him for advocacy purposes.  A day passed, and I didn’t hear back.  Then one of the best emails I’ve ever received came in: “Hello! I’m sorry to tell you that we will not be helping anymore with advocating for our host child.  Because we are submitting our letter of intent to adopt him!!!”

And just like that, all 19 host children have committed families.  And now begins the race as we run alongside our families to get them reunited as fast as humanly possible.

We are excited for our next hosting session, which will take place in February 2020 in Bogota, Colombia! Interested in learning more about our hosting programs? Visit our website!

I won’t bore you with too many words. I will let these videos speak for themselves. But let me just say….Della’s concentration stringing those beads couldn’t be cuter!!

And while we’re at it showing off her incredible cuteness and determination, here’s another. You are welcome.

This sweet girl turns 5 NEXT WEEK. What do you say we all work together to make sure this is her LAST birthday without a family?!?!? Please share far and wide! Let’s get this amazing girl HOME!

To learn more about adopting from China, please visit our website. To learn more about Della specifically, please complete our Prospective Adoptive Parent form, and we will be in touch.

Post-Adoption Reports. We send you many reminders. We can sometimes be a bit persistent. Some may even think we are annoying! 

So what’s the big deal with them you ask? We’ll tell you! 

Did you know that entire country adoption programs have closed because of non-compliance with post-adoption reports? Did you know that thousands of children will never have the opportunity of a family due to the non-compliance of some adoptive families who came before them? It may sound dramatic….but that is because it is. It is a BIG.DEAL! 

Perhaps you are not happy with the level of care your child received at his or her orphanage, and don’t feel the need to update them. Or, perhaps you are currently struggling with your new child, making a report the last thing on your mind. We get it. We truly do. But whatever your reasons, the fact of the matter is that children are still there. Waiting. And your inaction could cause them to have to wait forever. To wait forever for their forever family to never come.

For those of you who are struggling, please know we are always here to help, as well as your direct post-adoption workers. And, while the post-adoption report may feel like a burden when you are in crisis, it could very well be what you need! It provides you the opportunity to sit with a professional who can offer support, refer you to services, and come up with a plan so that your family can succeed. But, we don’t read minds! We can’t help you unless you tell us you need help. Reaching out for help is never a sign of failure….but quite the opposite….it’s a sign of strength. We have certified TBRI practitioners on staff, as well as a Post-Adoption Wellness Coordinator, all dedicated to your family’s success.

And if you are doing great, and your child is thriving, and a worker coming in and taking up two hours is the last thing you need when you should be at soccer practice and making dinner and doing laundry, use that opportunity to boast and brag about your child! Show us and these countries how well our kids are doing and how they are thriving! This will only solidify that adoption is indeed a good thing, and that adoptions should remain open. And as many children as possible should know what the love of a family feels like. Again, it is a BIG.DEAL! 

And if you STILL don’t want to comply, at the end of the day, please remember that you gave us your word. You promised. We trusted your word. And for those of us who have dedicated our lives to children affected by trauma, we know how important trust is. Please stand by your word. And be our partners and stand by the children who still wait.

Dear Brittany,

While I never had the privilege of meeting you, I feel like I know you.  I speak of you so often to our families every time I mention Brittany’s Hope.  I think of you whenever one of our families is blessed with a Brittany’s Hope grant.  A grant that eases some of their financial burden so that they can focus on what is important – their new child.  You are very often on my mind, as well as on the minds of the hundreds of Madison Adoption Associates’ families who have been blessed by Brittany’s Hope. 

Now, 20 years after your passing, your legacy not only spreads across Pennsylvania, but across our entire country.  And even across the entire world.  Brittany, I wish you were here on this earth with us so we could rejoice together while we watch your dream coming true.  Your dream ‘of a world where all children know the peace and love only a family can provide.’  We may not have reached ALL children yet, but the lives your legacy has impacted is remarkable.  And is worth celebrating.  So I just wanted to take a moment, this side of heaven, to share with you the mark you’ve made on the lives of so many.

And these ten only scratch the surface of the thousands of children’s lives you have impacted!  I know you are already familiar with these ten precious souls Brittany, as I know you are looking down on them.  Just as you are looking down on all of us, and on all the children that your legacy has touched.  But I still wanted to take a moment to reflect on the lives that have been changed for the better by you and your memory, especially as we are quickly approaching the Brittany’s Hope Walk of Love.  Your impact has spread to almost every corner of our world, changing the lives of children in need.  On September 14, thousands of us who would have loved to have called you ‘friend,’ will come together in your honor, so that your legacy can continue to be spread farther and wider than it has already.  If you could put in a good word for no rain, we’d appreciate it 😊.  If not, we’ll still be there.  Running and walking for you, for your dream, and ultimately, for the children.

With Love,

Sarah, and your friends at Madison Adoption Associates   

Madison Adoption Associates is proud to partner with Brittany’s Hope.  Brittany’s Hope has been providing adoption grants to MAA families for years, and with your help, that can continue for years to come!  Please consider sponsoring us at the Walk of Love, as we walk for Brittany’s dream for the children.  

All donations go directly towards adoption grants for MAA families!