Donna T. 98 Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Hello! I haven't checked in on the chat board in quite awhile, but wanted to share this awesome, amazing news with you all! Some of you may know that last Christmas we hosted a child through an orphan hosting program. We had never participated in an orphan hosting program before and didn't really intend to adopt. But, it was a wonderful experience. We hosted her again this summer and will be hosting her the third time this Christmas. She is from Ukraine and has lived in the orphanage for five years. We have never adopted before and it has all been quite scary, but we have managed to get through the home study and have now completed our dossier. Our petition to adopt will be filed in Ukraine in early January and we expect to travel next March. I have been reading a lot of books about attachment and how to parent these brave, hurt children. She is very brave. We love her to pieces. I don't really know what else to do to prepare for this enormous change that will impact our family forever. I hope I can home-school her but I am open to sending her to a brick and mortar if she would be happier with the group learning. She is 12, and does have her own opinions about everything! She is very smart and though she doesn't speak much English we did see a huge leap in her English speaking skills this summer. I would love curriculum suggestions or just to hear from any of you who have adopted internationally. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
unsinkable 24,078 Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 No advice but congrats and best wishes!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
emzhengjiu 428 Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Congratulations!!! How exciting. I would suggest you focus on attachment and English skills before adding a full load of other subjects. The change likely will be hard for her for a while. It's one thing to visit with a family, but it's quite another to become part of that family. Prepare for a honeymoon period followed perhaps by a period where she tests your commitment to her. Of course, every child and every adoption is different. Someone I know adopted a toddler and at that young age she had some attachment issues. It took hard work, but the relationship between the child and parent is very strong now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Luckymama 10,120 Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Congratulations :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KrissiK 65,036 Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Congratulations. All our kids are adopted, but all domestically, so no advice for you. Just good wishes! How exciting! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Homeschool Mom in AZ 16,392 Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Congratulations! We adopted our youngest child from S. Korea in 2006. She was an infant. Have on hand the contact information of a licensed Attachment Therapist who has experience with older adoptees from institutional settings. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jillian 404 Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Expect some honeymoon when she moves in for good. Congrats! We are doing domestic foster care! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Catwoman 74,049 Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Congratulations!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kimberly in IN 232 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Congratulations!!!! How very exciting for your family! No advice; we have adopted twice internationally, but dd 1 was an infant and dd 2 was a toddler/preschool age. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mom2OandE 289 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Congratulations! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spryte 17,783 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Congratulations! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Melissa in Australia 13,771 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lavender's green 2,036 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Congratulations! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ewe Mama 2,301 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Congratulations! I pray it is a very smooth road and adjustment time for all of you and that you bring each other much joy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LMV 1,336 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Congratulations and best wishes. I know Cindy in C-Ville and her husband adopted their daughter Katya from the Ukraine. It sounds like they may have participated in the same program (or at least a similar one) that you did. You might consider reaching out to her. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jaybee 3,114 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 I really like Deborah Gray's books, Attaching in Adoption and Nurturing Adoption. Attaching would be the first choice. They are very practical and helpful books; realistic but hopeful. We adopted our youngest internationally at four years old. It has been a different path, but a good one. Not without challenges, but still good. Wishing you all the best. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trulycrabby 6,559 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Congratulations, and wishing joy for you and your family! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 3,059 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 How exciting! Congratulations! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jean in Newcastle 175,324 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 I was going to recommend that you talk to Cindy in C-Ville (who did a very similar adoption) but I see she hasn't been here in quite a while. I'm not sure if she still has a blog or not. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Suzanne115 251 Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 I don't have any advice, but congratulations! Both of my girls are adopted internationally. My 11 year old was adopted at 6 months from Kazakhstan. My 4 year old was adopted at 13 months from China! It is an amazing experience. Blessings, Suzanne Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jillian 404 Posted December 5, 2013 Report Share Posted December 5, 2013 Read Gray, Keck and Kupecky, and listen to Dawn Davenport on the Creating A Family podcast/website Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mamawaabangi 86 Posted December 5, 2013 Report Share Posted December 5, 2013 So happy for you all! We have two adopted in 2011 who were 5 and 1 at the time. It is a wild and beautiful ride! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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