Hosting
Whether or not you're interested in adoption, hosting is a wonderful opportunity both for your family and for the child. There are many organizations, the one we use is called Project 143. There are usually winter and summer opportunities. The cost is around $2,800 and is tax deductible. Some of the children have grants, and many families successfully fundraise for the cost.
In an orphanage, a child over 5 years old has less than a 1% chance of being adopted. When they come for hosting, that increases to over 65%! Even if they're not adopted, hosting still provides many wonderful benefits. The children get to experience life in a happy, healthy family. Orphanage directors often report amazing increases in self confidence when they return. Many host families continue contact with their host children long after hosting and give them the support of a family, even if from overseas.
In an orphanage, a child over 5 years old has less than a 1% chance of being adopted. When they come for hosting, that increases to over 65%! Even if they're not adopted, hosting still provides many wonderful benefits. The children get to experience life in a happy, healthy family. Orphanage directors often report amazing increases in self confidence when they return. Many host families continue contact with their host children long after hosting and give them the support of a family, even if from overseas.
Assist a Host Family
When children arrive for hosting, they come with the clothes that they're wearing and a small backpack. Ours carried a broken hairbrush, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a small ziploc of old makeup supplies and a bottle of cheap perfume. That's it. Many of them have never seen a dentist in their life or an eye doctor. They've never had normal childhood experiences, haven't gone bowling, been to the zoo, played checkers, etc. Here's a list of many things that would help host families:
- Assist with the hosting fees. This is a tax deductible donation. If you'd like to donate to our hosting expenses you can follow this link:
- Dental services - many children have never seen a dentist and have significant needs.
- Vision care - most have never seen an eye doctor.
- Clothing - They come with the clothes they're wearing and usually don't own much else. Gently used donations are wonderful to have something for them to wear after arrival (an immediate shopping trip would be overwhelming). After they're acclimated, the chance to go to a mall and buy new clothes is something most have never had the chance to do.
- Toys/Crafts - Since they've missed childhood experiences, even teens enjoy somewhat younger activities. Our 13 yr old girl loved craft kits from Michaels.
- ESL program - Pimsleur ESL or Rosetta Stone ESL programs are wonderful to help them learn English while here. English can provide a big increase in their chances of adoption and is a lifelong help for them.
- Gift Certificates/Activities - we usually try to pack quite a few activities into a short amount of time but that can be a significant cost since most things involve the entire family. Gift certificates or tickets to activities are a wonderful gift. Examples of things we've done/would like to do with kids:
- Bowling, movies, ice skating, rollerskating, mini golf, restaurant, swimming, horseback riding, go carts, waterpark/amusement park, petting zoo, camping.
- Assist with Advocating - Spread the word! Share information about the children here with friends, family, colleagues, churches. Do you have a connection to a newspaper, other active bloggers? Host a dinner or party for people to meet the host child (child is just told it's a dinner/party).
Adoption
Do you have room for another place at the table? If so, please at least consider adoption. It's not for everyone, but there are many options. There are young children available (1 yr and older when they come home) all the way up to 16 years old. There are healthy children, children with medical needs, children with developmental disabilities. There are single children and sibling groups. There are struggles, these children are by definition hurt children (no one becomes an orphan because things were good), and love won't heal all wounds but it sure can go a long way.
The thought of traveling across the ocean to bring home an unknown child can be scary, but that's where hosting is such an incredible opportunity. You can bring the child to your family for a month and get to know them.
To adopt from Ukraine, the cost can be anywhere from $25,000-$40,000 (including travel) and requires usually 2 trips. However there is a $13,000 adoption tax credit which brings it down to potentially only $12,000. There is also a possibility of setting up an account through your church so that the payments can be tax deductible.
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