Angie {Taiwan}

Sometimes on a Superkids trips we meet a child who is so outstandingly sweet that we all lose our hearts. Most of the time we each have children who we fall in love with. Angie was one of those children we all loved. We just kept talking about how incredibly sweet she is, her personality really shone!

Angie is 12 years old and has developmental delays. She attends school, though it is hard for her. Her favorite subject is English and least favorite is math. She describes herself as lively, optimistic, and helpful. She likes jogging, riding a unicycle, and making others happy. She is helpful and a good worker.

I got out our little makeup kit and we had so much putting on makeup together. She was so proud of her beautiful fingernails and the photo I took and printed of her. She is just such a sweetheart!

Please take the time to really see Angie! She deserves to be seen for the lovely girl she is! She deserves a family to help her reach her full potential.

Could Angie be your daughter? Please contact us mary.chapman@gladney.org for more information. And, as always, if you want to see pictures and videos we cannot share publicly please join our private Taiwan Facebook group.

Karson {Taiwan}

It is always fun to see the notes various team members write on a child's assessment sheet. I know how it goes there and that people are adding notes without reading what others have written, so it is fun to see when different team members describe a child using the same words. For 5 year old Karson those words are: bright, inquisitive, smart, independent.

And I'm just going to go ahead and add cute! Look at this little guy!

His file indicates that he has ADHD. He definitely was a high energy little guy, but he did focus well on tasks, completing puzzles very quickly and with ease. He is 5 and counted to 100 for us, he also wrote his name. He drew the cutest little person. With fingers and the lines on his little person's palms.

Karson's favorite toys are race cars and spinning tops. He did well with jumping, playing with balls, etc. but he told us he likes to play outside but doesn't like running very much.

Karson needs a family! Please contact mary.chapman@gladney.org for more information.

Family Friday!! {MATCHES!}

It is time to announce matches! Most of theses children are from China, but the brothers are from Taiwan! Help us celebrate today by liking and sharing this post!

I was recently in Mexico and got to watch a baby sea turtle release. We all cheered them on as they instinctively headed toward the water. Something about the way we all stood there cheering them on reminded me of our Gladney Superkids team as we think of the children we advocate for (just stay with me, I know I'm being a little cheesy). We love announcing matches!

Kasper {Taiwan}

Kasper is an 8 year old little boy with one request: He wants a family. What do you say to an 8 year old boy when he asks you to find him a family? You can't say that you will. You stand there, your mind spinning, knowing full well the challenges of finding him one. And you can only promise one thing: you will try. 

He sought me out, dragging an interpreter along, to tell me he wanted us to find him a family. I didn't know if he told anyone else, but when I read through notes we made while visiting with him last month I see that he did. Apparently he wanted to get the message to any of us he thought could make that happen!

Kasper likes to play with Legos, he is in 2nd grade and can read and write in Mandarin. He wrote his name for us and was very cooperative with what we asked him to do, until it got hard, then he balked a bit. What 8 year old likes to answer hard math facts? :)

Kasper's file indicates that he has ADHD, for which he is taking medication. He also has some difficult things in his background which break my heart when I read them. Some of his behaviors reflect the trauma he has experienced, which is to be expected.

This sweet little guy like hamburgers and french fries and likes PE, especially running, at school. He speaks in complete sentences and had some cute answers to questions we asked him. In one picture children are washing their hands and when we asked him why they need to do that he replied so that they will not get an intestinal flu or virus.

Could Kasper be your son? Please contact mary.chapman@gladney.org for more information!

P.S. Don't forget to join our private Facebook group where we can share photos and videos of the children from Taiwan that we cannot show publicly!

Kobe {NEW FILE-Taiwan}

One of my favorite things is to get a new file and realize that we just met this child and have so much great information to share about them!

Today we get to introduce Kobe. We met him earlier this month and got to spend some time playing with him. He was a quiet little guy, but not really shy. He enjoyed playing with the little robots and toys in the room and was quite imaginative in his play.

Kobe is almost 4. His file indicates that he is developmentally delayed and has ADHD. He sorted colors with us and answered who, what, why type of questions. He speaks in complete, but short, sentences and, while his speech can be hard to understand, he communicates well.

He can walk, run, jump, kick a ball and do all the other active things 4 year olds love to do. He did well trying to copy shapes with a crayon and he can count to ten.

He likes eating grapes and other fruits and his favorite toys are dinosaurs and robots (I told you he has a good imagination!)

This sweet little guy needs a family to call his own! Could he be your son? Please contact mary.chapman@gladney.org for more information.

Kristoff - Update {Taiwan} Urgent!

If you watched our Facebook live video from ChungYi you heard me mention a little boy who rather urgently needs a family. His name is Kristoff and he is 9 years old. He likes to study computer science in school and wants to cook Western style food when he grows up. His favorite Western food is steak.

Kristoff is a little shy but warms up quickly and enjoys all of the puzzles and games we play with him. He likes reading, especially Chinese history books. He also enjoys outdoor games and playing with friends.

We found out during our recent trip that his file is going to be closed soon. This means that we will no longer see him or get updates on him. He will still be available for adoption, but it becomes harder to place a child without current information. Right now we have pictures, videos, and information. 

Kristoff has a diagnosis of Torettes, though he is going to be re-tested soon since there are several caregivers who doubt this diagnosis. Hopefully we can update this post once we get the results from the testing.

This amazing little guy needs and wants a family. He would like to have a brother, if possible, but the important thing is that he has a family to call his own.

Please contact mary.chapman@gladney.org for more information. And don’t forget to join our private Facebook group where you can see pictures and videos that we cannot share publicly. 

Avril - Update {Taiwan}

Last week in Taiwan we spent some time with Avril again. We met her the last time we were in Taiwan and introduced her in this blog post. It was so much fun to see her again and confirm our original impression that she is a precocious little girl. She notices everything going on around her and is very bright. She gave some great answers to the questions we asked her, expounding on the need for a helmet when riding a horse with understanding that few 4 year olds have.

Avril has a complicated heart condition. She has had 2 surgeries and has significant clubbing of her fingers and toes and is a dusky color. She needs a family who can get her the medical care she needs.

She communicates very well and uses long sentences with advanced vocabulary for a 4 year old. She likes to be active and had fun riding a little scooter around the room. She also played in the little playhouse in the room and forget hiding anything from her, she is tenacious and will keep looking until she finds what she is looking for.

She has a darling little giggle, which you hear quite often. She likes to eat cookies, I mean, who doesn’t?

Avril needs a family. Could she be your daughter? Please contact us at mary.chapman@gladney.org for more information.

The Final Day in Taiwan... For Now

Our time here is coming to an end for this trip. A final dinner together, a final night in our Airbnb, a final breakfast, and we will be back on our way to the US. We are glad to go back home to our families, but the time here changes you, no matter how many times you have come.

Each of us have tucked away memories that will stay with us and shape our thoughts and actions moving forward.

Some of those memories are precious. The children who are going home, the discussions we have had with staff members here in Taiwan and with each other, and the funny things that happen when you visit a country where you do not speak the language.

Some of those memories are poignant. The brothers who want to be adopted together; when we asked one of the boys what he wants to be when he grows up he replied, "take care of my family." His older brother has some delays and the middle brother looks out for him. I got some pictures of them hugging which I cannot post here, but this will give you a glimpse of the moment we witnessed. The boy whose file is soon to be closed (meaning that we will not see him or get updates on him, not that he cannot be adopted) even though he is only 9 years old and very smart. We do not know exactly why this decision was reached, but we know he deserves a family and that we feel a real sense of urgency to find his family while we have good, current information to share.

We are going home changed, as we always do. Determined to share these things we have seen and heard with you. Determined to tell the stories we have been entrusted with. Determined to change hearts, as ours have been changed.

Our First Day at ChungYi

Today was our first day at Chung Yi. It was a bit of a lighter day in regards to the number of children that we saw, but it wasn’t a shorter day! We met with a couple of matched children, as well as a few children with pending matches. We had a little more time than usual to spend with the children and their social workers, which was nice. The matched families are able to send specific questions, and we try to get as many detailed responses as possible in order to help the families prepare to bring their children home.

Little Dougie is matched!

We also spent time with a few children that we haven’t met before, including sweet Kassie whose profile we recently received. And of course it’s always fun to see the older children who recognize us from previous trips and are looking forward to their Lego sets. It’s nice to see the progress they have made in their development, or to hear about their new school year. It’s even better when we know there is a family waiting to bring them home.

Kassie

We also spent time meeting with the Chung Yi social workers discussing our programs and the various processes from each of our sides. At the end of the day, we all sit down to review the children we visited with. It’s always a good discussion – what can the caregivers do to help with their development now? What should the social workers be asking about from the caregivers in order to make more complete update reports? What is the progress we’ve seen since our last visit? So, as I mentioned at the beginning of the post – even though we saw less children, it was still a long day! Our beef noodles were well deserved!

Our Second Day at Cathwel

An amazing day filled with lots of little faces... some matched faces, some familiar faces and some new faces. The perfect blend for our second day at Cathwel.

It’s a special experience for the team to share care packages and photos of the forever families with the matched faces. It’s a celebration. A celebration of family. An adoption journey that all started because a family connected with a child our team had met.

Familiar faces bring smiles to our faces as we have learned so much about them and enjoy time with them during our visits. While at the same time our hearts ache that they are still waiting. Each time the team comes we bring hope. Hope of a forever family.

Then there are the new faces we are introduced to. Lots and lots of new faces this trip. The team is so excited to share what we have gathered in our adventures together. Let the advocacy begin and let us be a voice. A voice that brings a waiting child to life so that their forever family will find them. 

Each and every face forever a part of our memories shared here in Taiwan. Every child deserves a family. And there is a family for every waiting child. Now we work together to help them find each other. Forever families really do start here.

Our First Day In Taiwan

As the post adoption specialist, I have been wanting to attend a Superkids trip for a while now and I’m so grateful to be able to be a part of this trip. In my role at Gladney I get to see so many children after placement and watch them grow with their new families but I never get to experience where they come from. I’ve read referral paperwork and heard stories, but nothing compares to seeing it and getting a feel for what it’s like in person. Today was day number one and all I can say is what an amazing and eye-opening experience it was. 

It was a busy day and we saw so many children at Cathwel. 21 to be exact. It was also a long and tiring day but so insightful. Upon first entering the room, I was impressed with the space. Not what I would have imagined an orphanage to look like. The assessment process flowed smoothly as we obtained background information, physical therapy assessments, pictures, etc. I mainly tried to focus on how the children interacted with their caregivers/social workers and with the other children in the room. I also wanted to see their demeanor and how aware they were of their surroundings. I was able to float around and see all the different parts of how Superkids runs.

Two things surprised me the most today. First, was the amount of care and attention the children receive from their caregivers and social workers. They are clearly loved and cared for. Most children I observed would smile up at their caregiver or want to sit in their laps. They would engage with us and complete the assessments but weren’t overly indiscriminately friendly. For someone who focuses so much on attachment, this was incredibly encouraging to me. 

The other surprising thing was how much I enjoyed being with the older children today. Typically, I personally tend to gravitate towards younger children. I also tend to advocate more for younger children in adoption just given everything thing I’ve seen with older children and their adjustment/history. However, I have to admit some of these older children we saw today, just amazed me and warmed my heart. They were so sweet and full of life. A few of them were older siblings who seemed to look after their younger sibling(s). They smiled often and weren’t discouraged by their situation. I can’t help but think if I knew I were getting older, closer to aging out, that I would start losing hope but not these kids. They were a joy to be around and hopefully through our efforts we can help some of them find their forever homes.

We still have some long days ahead and many more children to see, but overall, I’m encouraged. I’m looking forward to getting to know these children as much as possible so I can not only help advocate but also share information with their future families about what I observed. I’m also excited to potentially see some of these children after placement when I complete their supervised visits. I can’t help but think what a privilege it would be to see where they came from and then be able to see them grow and develop once they’re home. 

Who Are We? And What Do We Do?

As I am preparing for another trip to Taiwan; packing my suitcase full of lollipops, Legos, and fruit snacks, I started thinking about how these trips have become such a big part of what we do and that maybe some of you don't know exactly why we make this trek half way across the world twice a year.

As you can see, we don't exactly travel light!

I have been working with Superkids since 2013. In that time I have taken 11 trips to Asia and taken over 50,000 photos of children in orphanages. I have seen hundreds of children go from being part of a social system to treasured members of a family. I have been moved to tears by the hard things I have seen and by the precious, amazing things I have seen. I have endured the long, grueling flights and the re-entry into everyday life when it seems it cannot be real that the two worlds I have experienced are both continuing simultaneously on opposite sides of the world. Here is a post that I wrote after my first trip with Superkids to China.

Why do we do it? What is our goal? And are we achieving what we set out to do?

Why? That is always an important consideration. We do it for a few reasons. We go so that we can add to the files prepared for the child and help to bring the child to life. It is one thing to read a file, it is something else to speak with someone who met the child.  Seeing pictures and getting reports from professionals who have personally interacted with the child can give prospective adoptive parents a lot of reassurance as they make the decision of whether this child is a good fit for their family. 

We do it because we want children to be in families who are prepared to parent that child. This is a situation where knowledge is power. The more they know the more successful the family will be.

We also do it to shine a light on children that might otherwise be overlooked. Sometimes it is older children who do not need us to tell their story, but rather need us to provide a platform so that they can tell their own story to the world. I think of one young man we all loved. We met him several times and the last time we met him we were not going to interview him because we did not want to cause him pain that he was still waiting. But he came into the room and he insisted. He needed people to see him and hear his story. Guess what? By the next time we went he wasn't there anymore. He was at home with his family. 

Our goals not only include the things mentioned above, but also to provide caregiver training and professional advice to the people overseeing the care of the children so that the lives of the children we meet and all of the other children in the orphanages we go to can be a little better each time we go. 

And finally, are we achieving our goals? Yes and no. Like I said, we have seen so many amazing children come home and do well. That is the most beautiful thing to witness and to know that we had a part in making it happen. But, we want to do more. We are constantly needing to change as laws in the countries we work in change. And we are always looking for new opportunities and new ways to work to better the lives of children in these countries. 

The work we do is important. And you all have supported us so faithfully. Please help us by following our upcoming trip. Like our Facebook page, share our posts, join our private Facebook group. Every like, share, and comment can help us reach more people and help more children.

That is our biggest goal. And trust me, the children we see are worth every mile traveled and every minute of sleep lost. 

The Countdown to Taiwan Is...

The countdown to Taiwan is officially ON!!!

Taiwan Trip Details

I know, if you are as excited about this trip as we are, that you cannot wait to hear all of the details!

Gongzhan Wu, vice president & executive director of the Asia programs for Gladney is already in China. He will be joined there early next week by Monique Lee, who works in the post placement department at Gladney.

On October 27th the rest of the team:

Mary Chapman - Taiwan caseworker
Nancy Dobson - pediatric physical therapist
Michelle Snyder - Taiwan adoptive mom & waiting child advocate
Erin Martin - photographer & waiting child advocate

will fly to Taipei, Taiwan, where we will be joined by Gongzhan and Monique.

We plan to go to Cathwel on October 29th & 30th. The 31st will be a day of sightseeing and relaxation. Then we will go to ChungYi on November 1st & 2nd. November 3rd we plan to travel home.

Now on to how to follow the trip:

We will be posting here on the blog as often as we can, hopefully once a day. We will also post on our public Facebook page. We try to post there throughout the day, even from the orphanages if we can! Taiwan has strict laws on what can be posted publicly to protect the privacy of the children, but we also have a private Facebook group where we can post photos and videos that we can't post publicly.

Follow along! Share, comment on, and like our posts! Help us shine a light on the amazing children we meet and on the important work we do!

Just... Thank You

Last week on Friday we asked for your help with things we needed for our upcoming trip to Taiwan. By Sunday things started arriving. By Tuesday everything on the list was purchased. Today the last of the things arrived.

Everything from fruit snacks to Legos to an external hard drive to store the information, photos, and videos on.

Just... thank you for always supporting these trips we take. Thank you for caring about the children we meet. Thank you for everything you do to support us.

Just... thank you... from the bottom our hearts!

We Are Going To Taiwan!

We have our fall Taiwan trip dates! We are planning to leave on October 27 and return home on November 3. We will be spending 2 days at ChungYi and 2 at Cathwel with a day for sightseeing between.

We will be giving you details as far as who is going and how many children we plan to see and all the other fun details as we get closer to the time to leave.

For now we need your help to get the things we need for the trip. We put together an Amazon wish list which you can see here. 

Thank you in advance for helping us get ready!

Kassie {Taiwan}

Kassie is an adorable 5 year old little girl waiting for her forever family. She loves to play with dolls and be outside. Her favorites on the playground are the monkey bars and slide. She also enjoys playing in the sand box. 

Kassie is curious and enjoys learning new things. She gets along well with her peers, and also easily with familiar adults. She lives in a foster family and her foster mother states that she can handle all of her self care needs, but still sometimes needs help with a shower. She loves bamboo shoots and fruit, as well as chocolate.

Kassie does not have any medical needs and is reported to be on target developmentally. Her adoptive family must be open to knowing information about her birth family. We have Kassie’s full profile, including a cute video of her dancing! For more information on Kassie, please be in touch with Mary Chapman at mary.chapman@gladney.org.