We had one family take placement of their 4 year old son in December – congratulations to this family! We also had one family attend their court hearing in December. Currently, we have 17 families who are matched to children. In December, we learned that two of our families were approved for matching to waiting children. We currently have 2 families with pending matches to waiting children.
One of the unique things about the Taiwan program is that once a family is matched, they get to do Skype calls with their child! Participating in Skype calls is a great way to begin building an attachment and start the bonding process. Families typically get to Skype every few weeks with their child. The first call is always a little nerve-wrecking for everyone, and honestly, a little awkward – especially if you don’t speak Mandarin or Taiwanese! However, there is someone on the call to help translate and families usually report that although nervous at first, the calls always end up being fun. It can be exciting and joyous to plan activities for an upcoming call. Families can send care packages with games, books, and toys to use during their Skype calls. It’s always amusing to hear what creative activities families have come up with! As your family’s placement date draws closer, it can be helpful to get to talk to your child about your travel to Taiwan, what you’ll do while there, and help to prepare them for coming to the US. We have seen the Skype calls greatly diminish the child’s anxiety about the adoption – their new family members aren’t complete strangers, they’ve played, laughed, and talked together already!
We are currently advocating for over 90 waiting children from Taiwan. If you haven't already, don't forget to join our private Facebook group where we share photos and videos of waiting children from Taiwan! If you’d like more information on any waiting child, please reach out to
[email protected]
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