With Thanksgiving week underway, we have a lot of catching up to do with news from our China program.  This month two families received their official referral or Letter Seeking Confirmation (LSC) from the CCCWA.  What great news for them to share through the holidays!  We also had five families travel to China to complete their adoptions this month, with two families finishing up with the Consulate in Guangzhou this week.  The Friday after Thanksgiving two more families will be boarding the plane for China to meet their children and complete their adoptions.  The adoption process continues to be smooth with no significant changes at this time.  We want to encourage any family thinking about adopting from China to begin the process as the year winds down. You will find this very helpful in terms of scheduling home studies and other appointments with a bit of a jump start on 2017!  Please contact   [email protected] if  you have any questions about the current China Adoption program.

Last month Gladney Staff were in China and Taiwan visiting with the children, their caregivers, and the staff of the organizations who assist with inter national adoptions.  Leta White, Gladness' current  China program caseworker was able to travel throughout Jiangxi province and meet with two families in Guangzhou who were completing their adoptions in  Guangzhou. Leta reflected on her trip saying, "While it was so insightful to visit the US consulate in Guangzhou to see the actual process, it was so wonderful to meet two of the children and see them with their parents.  It was really rewarding to meet the children I had been thinking about for months while helping their parents with their adoption process."

 

Wendy Stanley (pictured above with one of the children on the former shared list) was able to lead a group of volunteers to screen approx. 80 children available for adoption whose files are part of the Former Shared List Project.  Wendy is the social services director for Gladney's Asia programs.  Afterwards, she joined the Superkids Team working at our partnership orphanages in Tianjin and Ningbo.  While in Ningbo Wendy had the chance to meet little 'Noah' who is matched and will be coming home to NJ shortly after the Chinese New Year!  

Gongzhan Wu, VP & Managing Director of Gladney's China Program, left the U.S. for Taiwan in late September and will be returning back to the office in New York City as November closes.  Throughout this time he has been overseeing several volunteer trips for Superkids and the   Former Shared List Project .  This week Gongzhan is with a team of volunteers in Guizhou Province.  We are very thankful for this group of volunteers who are spending the Thanksgiving Holiday away from their families.  

With our trips to China almost all behind us - we are now sorting through update information and photos of the children we were able to see and who are in need of adoptive families.  Please continue to follow the our Superkids blog  as we post frequently!  

Wishing everyone a special Thanksgiving week with their families!