AAC Adoption

Help Save the Adoption Tax Credit for 2012-2013!!!

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

Please help us save the adoption tax credit for 2012 - 2013. For many families the cost of an expensive adoption is what keeps them from bringing home a child - this tax credit helps alleviate some of the cost, but in 2012 it starts to diminish. The Senate Finance Committee is about to vote on "S. 82, the Adoption Tax Credit Guarantee Act" and we are petitioning for them to vote YES to save the adoption tax credit.

ABOUT THE CREDIT:
The average cost to adopt a child is any where from $25k- $35k or more. Currently, for the 2011 Tax Year Adopting families are eligible for:
• A maximum of $13,170 for 2011 returns • Fully refundable as long as the adoption is initiated in 2011 or before, and finalized before the end of 2012 (domestic) or was finalized in 2011 (international)
But in 2012 the Tax Credit is going to change: • A maximum of $12,170 for 2012 returns only, non-refundable
In 2013 it all goes away, no tax credit at all.
We are working with politicians and petitioning to extend the tax credit as currently stated in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, so that more money is available to families allowing them provide a financially stable home to the adopted child.
TO HELP:
1. To help save the credit, it only takes a minute. Visit this website & add your name to the petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/make-adoption-costs-fully-refundable-in-the-2012-2013-tax-years
2. Please consider sending this letter to your adoptive families, as they will be greatly impacted by the success or failure to keep the adoption credit.

Words of Wisdom

2012-01-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

We have many families who share their adoption journeys with us. It is always so much fun for us to follow our families on their blogs as they travel to China and experience their Gotcha Days, and watch the children and families when they first meet. Sometimes our families share their wisdom along the way and we wanted to share with you one family’s thoughts. They adopted an older child and she was a little sad at first, but is doing very well now. When they mailed in their last post placement report they shared the following advice:

“Never give up: try, try and try again. Use all the love that you have and smile a lot no matter what. Do not lose your sense of humor and patience. Try to walk in their shoes and try to keep something that is familiar for them, so they will feel less scared and alone.”

Chinese New Year

2012-01-20T11:07:00.001-08:00

Chinese New Year is China’s biggest holiday. It is also known as the Spring Festival. Each Chinese year is represented by a repeated cycle of 12 animals, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
This year the Chinese New Year is January 22nd through the 25th. Most Chinese will celebrate that whole week, and through the following weekend. They will attend lots of parties with family and friends. There will be lots of food and cakes and candy for everyone to enjoy.
Chinese people often greet one another with “Congratulations and Happy to You” or “Congratulations and be Prosperous” during the Chinese New Year.
As part of the Chinese New Year celebration, people buy presents, decorations, special foods and new clothing. Railroad stations throughout China are filled with travelers who take their vacation days around New Year to return home for a family reunion. It is a time of thanksgiving.
Days before the New Year celebration, Chinese families are busy giving their home a thorough cleaning. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away bad luck and makes the house ready for good luck to enter. All brooms and dust pans are put away on New Year’s Eve so good luck cannot be swept away. They also buy new clothes to symbolize a new beginning in the New Year.
In many homes, doors and windowpanes get a fresh coat of red paint. The home is decorated with paper cut-outs and poems for happiness, wealth, longevity, and happy marriage with children. Red is the main color used in New Year celebrations. Red is the emblem of joy, and virtue, truth and sincerity.
The New Year’s Eve supper is a feast with all the members of the family getting together. Some popular foods are dumplings boiled in water, and sweet rice rolled into balls and stuffed with sweet or spicy fillings. After dinner, the whole family stays up all night playing cards, board games or watching TV programs dedicated to the New Year’s celebration. Lights in the house are kept on during the whole night. At midnight, the sky is lit up by fireworks which symbolize the sending out of the old year and the welcoming in of the New Year. People open all the windows and doors in the house in order to let the old year go out.
Very early the next morning, children greet their parents and receive their New Year present. They get lucky red envelopes with money inside. Children are indulged by their parents on this day. The rest of the first day of the New Year is spent visiting relatives and friends.
Chinese New Year is a time for reconciliation. Old grudges are forgiven. People are warm and friendly toward one another, and sometimes they exchange gifts.
Dragon and lion dances are common during the Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively will chase away bad spirits.
On the last day of the New Year’s celebration begins the Festival of the Lanterns. They celebrate with lantern shows and folk dances. Children display their lanterns in a night time parade. This is when the Chinese people welcome the first full moon of the New Year. The Festival of the Lanterns mark the end of the New Year’s celebration and life goes back to normal.

Happy New Year to everyone! May this year bring you luck and prosperity!

Anthony Needs the LOVE of a Family... Does your family have it to give?

2012-01-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

Anthony is an adorable little three year old boy.
His physical development is normal, and there is just a slight delay in his mental development.
He plays well with others as well as likes to play by himself for long periods of time.
He is described by his foster Mom as happy, cooperative and obedient.
He likes to be out and about going places and seeing sights. He likes to visit with lots of people.
He likes to listen to music and is described as a very patient little guy.
Foster Mom says he is always smiling and happy.
Anthony’s special need is symphysic teratism of both ulna and radius at proximal end, and bilateral indirect hernia.
Anthony is looking for his “Forever Family” and if you think he may be your son, please call and ask to review his file.

970-532-3576

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-05T08:35:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!
In 2011 AAC was honored to match 88 children with their forever families and we look forward to many happily-ever-after stories in 2012!
The Korea Program continues to move along at a steady pace. It is a great time to get started with the process. In fact, our waitlist for a baby boy has moved so quickly, we anticipate that new families could be matched in a matter of months. The wait for immigration and emigration approval to bring children home from Korea is expected to take at least a year; and we are very grateful for the loving care these children receive from their foster families in Korea while they wait to be united with their forever families here at home.
The China Waiting Child Program continues to grow. Our Jiangxi partnership has helped match our families very quickly once their dossier paperwork has been completed. We are excited about the growth of the Waiting Child Program, and take pride in maintaining a personal interest in each adoption!
If the thought of adopting a child from China or Korea has been glimmering in your mind, 2012 could be the year to turn that dream into reality.

Check out our new Jiangxi children!!!!

2011-12-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

We have been really slacking on posting new blogs since returning from our China trip in the spring and we apologize for keeping you in the dark about our new waiting child program.

As mentioned in the previous posts, we are working with 3 orphanages in Jiangxi province in helping place their waiting children. Most of the children are exclusive to AAC and we are given some time to place them with their forever families. Since starting this program the majority of the children have been infants or toddlers. We have even matched children as young as 6 months. The average age is 12-18 months. Some of these children have minor medical needs and some are more complicated.

Basic information and photos of all of our children are posted on our website. This week we will be posting 11 more children online. Six of these children are special focus & five are non-special focus. Special focus children can be matched with families anywhere in the paperwork process even those who have not yet started. Non-special focus children on the other hand must be matched with families who have a comleted or nearly completed dossier. AAC does accept dossier transfers if the current agency is in agreement.

If you haven't visited our website lately now is a great time to do so! Check out all of these adorable wonderful children
http://aacadoption.com/adoption/waiting_children.aspx.

Oh and by the way...all of our waiting children have grant assitance available for their adoption. Call our office for more information about grants.

EPs for our Korea families!!!

2011-12-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

We received EPs for our November families!!!
It took little longer than expected but at least now we are one step closer to bring those kiddos home. Eastern is working diligently in getting all of the children's paperwork expedited so that they can be home for Christmas.
Once again, congratulations to our November families.

2011-12-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

Hey all you AAC families! Don't forget.....

AAC's ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY

THIS WEEKEND!!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

1-3 pm

Brookside Gardens Event Center

619 E. State Hwy 56, Berthoud, CO

(just west of AAC office on Hwy 56)

Catered refreshments with Santa Claus

Cost $20 per family

As always...everyone is welcome!

Past, present and future familes..come celebrate the holiday season with other families who were made with love!

Enjoy tasty refreshments and fabulous fellowship...AND meet Santa!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE

In Loving Memory

2011-07-20T14:54:00.001-07:00

The day at AAC began with the sad news of a dreadful accident involving our friends, Alex and Laurel Constantinides. Laurel and her three daughters, Hanna, Zoey and Lucy, died yesterday when the family van was swept away by a flashflood in Wyoming.
Laurel served many families as a skilled and compassionate social worker, guiding and encouraging them through the ups and downs of the adoption process. Laurel and Alex adopted their daughters from China and Korea, and often joined other adoptive families at AAC events. Laurel’s warmth and kindness touched many lives. There are no words to adequately express how much Laurel and the girls will be missed.
AAC is deeply grieved by the tragedy striking the Constantinides family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Alex and their family in this terrible time of loss.

The Passing of a Great Man

2011-05-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

We are saddened by the report of Dr. Kim, Duk Whang’s passing from this life on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Dr. Kim was the founder and president of Eastern Social Welfare Society in Korea. He will long be remembered for his kindness and inspiring leadership of ESWS. Our thoughts are prayers go out for Dr. Kim’s family and his many friends and associates at ESWS in their time of great loss.
Please join us in commemorating Dr. Kim’s life by paying your respect for him and sharing your personal fond memories of him.

Exciting News!

2011-04-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we announced that AAC has been working on some very exciting endeavors. We’ll keep you in suspense no longer…

AAC is proud to announce that we are one of very few agencies chosen by CCCWA (formerly known as CCAA) to take part in a new program. For the next year, we be partnering with three orphanages in the Jiangxi province. The majority of children’s files in these institutions will be exclusive to AAC. This includes children who are currently available for adoption and those who become available in the coming year.

In preparation for this venture, a team of us traveled to China last week and visited each orphanage. There we met approximately eighty children in need of loving families. The children varied in age and special need type. Some were as old as 13 years and some as young as 4 months. Some had more severe medical needs such as CP and some were very minor such as cleft lip and palate or corrected heart conditions. It was an amazing experience that touched our hearts. It was, of course, a joy to love on each of the babies. And words can not express what it is like to talk with an older child about his deep desire for a family. We will share more details about the children and our experiences in future posts.

Many of the children will be posted on our website next week. Information about the children will be available there or on www.rainbowkids.com. Make sure to check our site frequently for new children.

For those of you interested in adopting a young, minor special needs child, apply soon! AAC does not currently have a waiting list for this program. With the growth we are expecting, that may change so give us a call or email us. We'd love to tell you more about this wonderful new opportunity.

AAC is very excited about this new partnership and look forward to a very successful year!

AAC is coming to California!

2011-03-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

Hey all you Cali families, AAC will be in your area Saturday April 23rd through Saturday April 30th.

If you are considering international adoption, we'd love to give you more information about our agency and programs. Come to one of our three informational meetings located in several convenient locations.

We are also looking forward to meeting with many of you who have already adopted through AAC or are currently in the process. Come to the family gathering closest to you. Meet AAC staff face to face. Meet other parents with children adopted from Korea and China. Have a great time with the kids.

Those coming to our informational meetings are also welcome to attend the family gatherings. Meeting families who have already adopted can be very insightful. See the list below to find a time and location that's right for you.

RSVP is appreciated.

Informational Meetings

Saturday, April 23rd 10am-12pm
La Mesa, CA
La Mesa Community Center
4975 Memorial Drive

Tuesday, April 26th 7-9pm
Roseville, CA
Maidu Community Center
1550 Maidu Drive

Thursday, April 28th 7-9pm
Walnut Creek, CA
Partners for Adoption
800 S. Broadway, suite 210B

Family Gatherings

Saturday April 23rd 3-5 pm
Irvine, CA
Northwood Community Park
Conveniently located off of I-5 (take the Culver exit)
Egg Hunt, Crafts for the kids, Refreshments
http://www.cityofirvine.org/maps/popups/northwood.htm">http://www.cityofirvine.org/maps/popups/northwood.htm

Saturday April 30th 11am-2pm
Walnut Creek's Larkey Park
Buena Vista Ave at 1st Street
Bring your family picnic basket!
Games and activities for the kids
Playground
Lindsay Wildlife Museum nearby
http://www.walnutcreek.org/citygov/depts/ps/openspace/parks/larkey.asp

Silence

2011-03-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

We must appologize for the silence. I can't believe it's been more than 2 months since our last post. Hopefully we have not lost all of our followers. We've had some technical issues (as you probably could tell) and we've been extremely busy...which of course is a wonderful thing in this biz! Our Korea program is steady as usual, we've had lots of folks traveling, we've been placing lots of special focus kiddos...AND.....we've got something special in the works.

(Insert long pause for dramatic affect and suspense)

=)

Sorry but I'll have to leave you on the edge of your seat and ask you to stay tuned. Futher info will be posted next week.

Expect several posts between then and now though....Lots of exciting things going on at AAC.

Baffled, Confused, Bewildered, Astonished, Boggled...etc

2011-01-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

Have your pick...I am all of the above

Why, you ask????

Well...see this face

CUTE...right! =)

This is Braden. He's been on our individual list for two months. He is just over ONE YEAR OLD! Born 11-1-2009. He is active, social and curious and his caregivers adore him. Braden was born with cleft lip and palate and is a hepatitis b carrier. He also has a black birthmark on the back of his head. Nothing a little hair wouldn't cover up. He has no other medical conditions and Braden's physical and intellectual development are normal.

What's left me so puzzled is that this little guy still doesn't have a family. All three of his special needs are usually considered very minor. I figured that it may take a little extra time to match him with a family because he has "multiple special needs" ...but not two months. And what amazes me most is that there haven't been too many inquiries about this little guy! Hmmmm...........

I know this little guy has a family out there somewhere. If you think that you may be the one, please contact us info@aacadoption.com or 970-532-3576. If yours is not the right family for him, please help spread the word. Braden only had one more month on our individual list before he returns to the shared list.

One more shot

2010-12-13T22:12:00.000-08:00

The time has come to release the files of the first batch of special focus children who we haven't found families for back to the shared list. Doing this has been harder on me than I had anticipated. My heart just kept hurting for them as I thought of how easily they can get "lost" on that shared list of over 2000 children....sigh. Luckily I work with a very wise woman who kept reminding me that they will now have the opportunity to find a family through another agency. So, I said a prayer for Elise, Joseph, Erin, Hannah and Bryce and released their files. However...... I couldn't help but to give one more shot to these two boys.

Jayden and Jeffrey

I'm pretty surprised that these little guys didn't find their family yet. Mostly because their special needs have been corrected and their prognosis's should be pretty good. Soooo here it is one more short description on each of these cutie patooties.

Jayden has one of the cutest little faces I have every seen. His birthday is 2/10/2008. He is very outgoing and loves to play outside and with other children. He loves to explore and learn about things he has never seen. Jayden has a deformity of some of his fingers and toes. The deformity is very minor and his fingers are very nimble. He can pick up small beads, take caps off and on bottles and sew through button holes with a plastic needle and string. Jayden also has spina bifida that has been surgically corrected. He is able to walk, go up and down stairs, and dress and undress himself. He is also potty trained. His CT showed widened lateral ventricles on both sides but he has not been diagnosed with any brain disorder. In fact he is very bright, can speak well, understands the difference between big and little, and can do puzzles.

Jeffrey is an extroverted little boy who is very active. He likes to sing children's songs and play games with other children. He had surgery for meningocele and tethered cord syndrome. The surgery went well and the conditions were repaired. Little Jeffrey can run, jump and play like other boys his age. You can view a video of sweet Jeffrey just a few posts below. Jeffrey is from the same orphanage that our first Journey of Hope camp was held. He is being cared for in one of their foster homes where he is growing and developing well.

If either of these boys is tugging at your heart please contact our office by phone 970-532-3576 or by email info@aacadoption.com We will have their files only until next Monday.

Update on Gabriel

2010-12-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

Remember Gabriel.... He's one of the seven remaining Journey of Hope children. We recently received updated pictures of him. In case you missed the post featuring this little guy. Here's a summary... Gabriel is a sweet little seven year old boy. He is very friendly and full of smiles. He has a great imagination and is very creative. Gabriel enjoys playing with other children. During game time, he was eager to participate in every activity. During the interview, Gabriel told me that he enjoys playing games and riding bikes. He is currently in first grade. He likes school and has many friends there. One of Gabriel's favorite things to do is draw. Gabriel also enjoys practicing Kung Fu. He and his foster brother are taking classes. They are both quite talented. Check out the video below. Awesome!
Deleted for technical reasons...Please see previous post.
Gabriel's "special need" is deformity of the genitals. It is not a severe deformity and it is clear (in my opinion) that he is a male. Children with this issue are given a genetic testing just to make sure. It confirmed that he is a boy. He has no issues with urination and is otherwise healthy. And here are the updated photos....Gabriel is still practicing hard at Kung Fu

And working hard on his schoolwork....

If you feel this little guy tugging at your heart, please call our office 970-532-3576. We would love to give you more information on him.

Another Great Event.....Mark Your Calander's For The Next One!

2010-12-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was our annual holiday party. What a great turn out. The event center was packed.

As always, there was great food, and friendships. Also, there was great Christmas shopping opportunities with our culture item sale. This year we had balloon artists and the Berthoud Show Choir for entertainment.

And of course the big man was there...

Thanks to all who came. We really enjoyed seeing you.

Save the date for our next event, Chinese/Korean New Year

February 12, 2011

11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Brookside Event Center (just west of AAC office)

Come ring in the Lunar New Year with us. There will be dragon dancers, arts and crafts, Red Evelope Ceremony and much more. Asian food will be provided in addition to pot luck. This event is free. Please RSVP by emailing info@aacadoption.com or calling 970-532-3576.

Beth and Drew

2010-12-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

We got new pictures of Beth and Drew!
Check them out =)

What Awesome kids!!! Please take the time to go back and read the previous posts about each of these children. They really are great!

Return of Special Focus Children

2010-11-25T23:40:00.000-08:00

Early in September CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) began a new program called special focus. This program allowed for children who has been on the "shared list" for more than 2 months to be placed on agencies individual list. This allowed agencies to put forth extra effort to find homes for these children. So far it has been pretty successful. We have found homes for 7 children. However, the special focus regulations only allow agencies to keep the children's files for three months.
If we do not have prospective families for the below listed children by December 13, their files will be returned to the shared list. This is heart breaking to us because their are currently over 2000 files on the shared list. They become one of soooo many and have so much less of a chance of finding a family. Please read through their descriptions below. If one of them is tugging at your heart, please contact us. Fill out a preliminary application from our website www.aacadoption.com and mention the child's name in the comments section. We will then send you additinal information about the child and the adoption process. If you have further questions, you can email us at info@aacadoption.com or call us at 970-532-3576.

Erin is a sweet young girl. She was born on 2/25/2009. She likes listening to music and will sway her body. She absolutley loves taking baths.

Erin has leucoma in both eyes. As she has gotten older her caretakers have found that she can see somethings. Otherwise she is developmentally on track.

Desirae is a beautiful young girl with corrected cleft lip and palate. She is 11 years old. She has a sweet temperment. She likes to dress up and fix her hair. She loves the littler children and enjoys helping take care of them. She cuddles them, sings songs to them and plays games with them. The little children like her very much.

Bryce is a charming litte guy. He is 3 years old now (the picture somewhat dated) and adored by his caretakers. His caretakers say that 'his naughty look' is very adorable. He likes to play shy and cover his mouth when smiling at you.

Bryce was born with an imperforated anus that has been surgically corrected. He also has hypospadias and his heart is shifted to the right.

This darling little girl was born on October 22, 2008. Elise is outgoing and has a ready smile.

Elise was originally diagnosed as a healthy child. However, her development is slower than other children her age. She is not speaking yet. Her CT showed underdevelopment of the brain. She has had 3 seizure like episodes. Epilepsy is being considered.

This adorable little guy was born 2-10-2008. Jayden is very outgoing around those he is familiar with. he loves to play outside and with other children. He loves to explore and learn about things he has never seen.

Jayden has a minor deformity of some of his fingers and toes. He also has cleft thoracic vertebral plate associated with meningocele which has been surgically corrected. He is able to walk, go up and down stairs, and dress and undress himself. He is also potty trained. Jayden is very bright, can speak well, has great hand/eye coordination, and fine motor skills.

Hannah is a charming little four year old girl. She is extroverted and active. She gets along well with others and is not afraid of visitors. Hannah always greats them sweetly and even asks for cuddles.

Hannah was born with scoliosis. Her knees are turned a bit and she has a deformity of one of her feet. She can not walk on her own but can get around well if she holds on to something.

This sweet little girl was born on September 13, 2008. She is shy but energetic. She loves to play with toys and she loves to be rocked.

Emily had an abnormal CT scan. She seems to be developmentally on track and we are awaiting more information.

This cute little guy is four years old. Jeffrey is an extroverted little boy who is very active. He likes to sing children's songs and play games with other children.
Jeffrey had surgury for meningocele and tethered cord syndrome. The surgery went well and the conditions were repaired. Little Jeffrey can run, jump and play like other boys his age.

We hightlighted this little guy in another post that included a video. Make sure to check it out. He is such a doll!

Meet Joseph, a wonderful 11 year old boy. He is outgoing, sociable, and full of curiosity. Joseph often expresses his hope to have his own mom and dad. He has been asked if he was willing to live with parents with different nationality than him. He said "Yes, definately!"

Joseph had a hernia that was surgically repaired in 2006. He also has a banding around his right forearm and is missing half of his pinky on his right hand.

Sleep Issues

2010-11-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

So many of our adoptive families have questions about sleep issues once baby comes home. If you are experiencing sleep issues or would like to read up on it in preparation for your child...here's a link to a great article.
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1074

First Journey of Hope Kid Comes HOME!!!

2010-11-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

Right now I am sitting here reminiscing on this moment...

This was the first time that we met "Harper". I will never forget sitting with her and playing. She amazed us all and captured our hearts!

The emotions that we all felt during the Journey of Hope Camp can not be put into words. It was a time that both broke our hearts and filled them with hope. There were tears that's for sure!

I think the tears are going to flow again tomorrow because as I write this little "Harper" is on her way HOME with her FAMILY!! She is AAC's first Journey of Hope child to be united with her family. We are on the edge of our seats ready to welcome them home!!!

Tomorrow will be a day of celebration indeed!

Special Focus Child- Jeffrey

2010-11-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

Today I'd like to focus on little Jeffrey. Little Jeffrey is only four years old. He is such a cutie pie! His nannies say that he is an extroverted little boy who is very active. He likes to sing children's songs and play games with other children.

Jeffrey had surgery for meningocele and tethered cord syndrome. The surgery went well and the conditions were repaired. Little Jeffrey can run, jump and play like other boys his age.

We requested Jeffrey's file for our special focus list because he is in the same orphanage that our Journey of Hope Camp was held. We know that this orphanage has a wonderful caring staff and the children are well taken care of. Because of the relationship that was built during Journey of Hope, we were able to get more info on little Jeffrey...including the video in the post below =)

Jeffrey is just darling as you can see. We have placed several children in the last couple of years with meningocele. Many cases seem to be quite minor and have a good prognosis if the surgery is successful. Jeffrey seems to be one of these cases

I urge you to investigate this medical condition and contact our office for more info on this little boy.

Jeffrey Video

2010-11-09T15:49:00.001-08:00

Special Focus Child- Donovan

2010-10-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

AAC now has many special focus children listed on our website. Their files have been placed on our individual list so that we may make the best effort to find families for them.

Today we'd like take the time to highlight little Donovan.

Here is the description that we have of him on our website...

Little Donovan was born on 3/12/2009. He is a playful little boy who is liked very much by his caretakers. Donovan loves food and will get excited when he knows that it is time to eat. He is very friendly and has a ready smile. His favorite activity is playing with other children.

Donovan has been diagnosed with arthrogryposis, which is a joint disorder. He is unable to bend his wrists or elbows. This little guy is in need of some physical therepy and will need to find his own ways of accomplishing certain tasks. He has had extensive xrays that have found no abnormalities in his bones or joints. With a loving family and the right care, Donovan could flourish.

We requested Donovan's file to be placed on our individual listing because we recently placed a little girl with the same condition. She is an amazing girl and mesmorized all of the staff when we met her. Watching her overcome her disablity has made us see arthrogryposis as a managable medical condition. The family has been gracious enough to share a bit of their story...

As soon as I got off the phone after receiving our referral for an 11 month old baby girl with arthrogryposis I went straight for the internet. There's a possibility I did that prior to calling my husband but maybe it was at the same time! The internet can be a great thing for medical issues or it can be terrible. This time it was great. I found an online community ( http://www.amcsupport.org/ ) almost immediately that had descriptions of what arthrogryposis is and the ability to meet people locally that have experience with athrogryposis. The two things that stick in my mind from that first day of research are that arthrogryposis is not progressive so it won't get any worse, it can only get better, and that children with arthrogryposis are determined and amazing individuals.

Ellie came home at 17 months and is now 19 months. Her adjustment has been great. She is fitting right in with her two and a half year old twin brothers. They treat her as one of their own, and I'm choosing to think of that as a good thing! Her arms, from her shoulders down to her fingers, are affected by arhrogryposis but she still suprises us daily with what she can do. She does not know it should be easier to stack three blocks but she works at it, or anything else, until she accomplishes it. We see a local therapist three times a week and she gets one on one playtime with him. Between that and the additional work we do at home she is gaining strength and movement and is doing more and more each week. There can be alot of uncertainties when adopting a special needs child, but the benefits of raising such a child are greater than we could have imagined. We are all very proud of her and so fortunate that she has joined our family.

We ask you to check in to this condition and ask yourself if this is a condition that you could help a child to overcome. If so, won't you please consider this beautiful baby boy!

Let's Not Let Them Be Left Behind

2010-10-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

We are elated be able to tell you that 22 of the 30 children that participated in the Journey of Hope camp have found families! In terms of figures, that's 73%. A wonderful number I know...but...yes there is a but....I can't stop thinking of the 8 children who still do not have a home.

Beth
Drew

Marshall

Micah

Alex

Gabriel

Jared

Grant

I look back at pictures such as these and I can't help but think that Beth is the only one in these photos with out a family.

Because we met them face to face, it is hard to think of them as an acceptable 27% unsucess rate. They are children who NEED the love and nurturing of a family. It breaks my heart to think of how they will feel as one by one they watch their friends leave with their new families. Most likely, it will be especially hard for the older children, who can really understand . The ones who really knew the purpose of the camp.

In effort to help bring these children home, AAC has decided to double the grant money available for their adoption. $4,000 will now go toward the second phase fees. If you would like more information about any of our waiting children please feel free to give us a call (970) 532-3576 or email us info@aacadoption.com

Another Great Party

2010-10-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

The Old West Fall Fest was a big hit! We had a pretty full house and the barn at Brookside Gardens was almost filled to capacity=)

As always, it was great to see all the kids dressed up in their costumes. Adorable!

The old west theme turned out to be a pretty fun change. A wonderful AAC family generously supplied some country fun, including a mechanical bull. The kids had a blast with this!

There was even mini bull ridin' for the little ones. Too cute!

And it wouldn't be "old west" without roping, horse back riding, and a hayride.

This year, we had our first ever puppet act; complete with ventriloquism and a full marionette show. This was marvelous. The kids all sat attentively through the whole thing.

The activities were all wonderful, but the best part and the reason for our family gatherings is connecting and re-connecting with families who are on the same journey as you.

We would like to thank Puppets and Things on Strings for the wonderful entertainment and Brookside Gardens for a beautiful venue. And of course, thanks to all of our families for coming! It was wonderful to see you and the kiddos again.

If you weren't able to make it, please consider coming to our next family gathering, the Christmas party. Bring the kids to meet Santa. There will be great food, photo ops, cultural entertainment, and of course great fellowship. It's one of our largest events so you won't want to miss it! Make sure to mark your calenders for Saturday December 4th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. It will be at Brookside Gardens (just west of the AAC office). The cost is $20 per family with an RSVP before December 1 and $25 per family at the door.

AAC Old West Fall Fest- TOMORROW!!

2010-10-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

Howdy Pardners! Dont' forget AAC's annual Halloween/ Fall Fest Saturday, October 9th from 11-1

This year is themed "Old West Fall Fest" So grab your cowboy boots and head on down to Berthoud for some old- fashioned, side- splittin' family fun! You are encouraged to dress in western fashion. And As always, the kiddos are welcome to wear their costumes =)

Lunch is pot-luck, so bring your favorite dish for dinner on the grounds!

Special Focus Kiddos

2010-09-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we've posted. We have been very busy lately with the new special focus program that we told you about a couple of weeks ago. AAC now has 18children on our individual list. So, if you haven't checked out our website lately, you definately should. Their ages range from 1 to 11. Their special needs range from minor to more serious. Maybe your child waits for you there =)

Financial Resources

2010-09-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Considering adding to your family through adoption? Wondering how the cost will effect you financially? There are many resources out there for adoptive families to help with this. We discovered a new resource recently. Here is the link http://www.resources4adoption.com. We also recommend The Dave Thomas Foundation website http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/Home If you would like a list of other resources, feel free to contact our office.
In addition to outside sources, AAC also has grant money available for waiting children who are matched in 2010.

Families with Children from China- Group

2010-09-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Passing allong info for one of our families.....

If you are in the Boulder Colorado area and are interested in connecting with other famiies who have children from China, please consider the newly formed FCC group.
This group offers playdates, culture activities and celebrations. They are open to all families who have adopted children of Chineese origin regardless of route of adoption, religion, marital status of the family, or country of origin of the child. They are a non-profit, voluteer, perent support organization. They are independent of individual adoption agencies or facilitators.

To join, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/boulder_fcc/
For more information contact khancock@khancock.com

New China Program

2010-08-25T20:22:00.001-07:00

Many of you may have heard by now that CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) has announced a change in their waiting child program. Starting September 1st, CCAA will designate certain children who have been on the shared list for more than two months as "Special Focus Children". Agencies may then request special focus children to be on their "individual list". This will enable agencies to focus on finding families for those children. We here at AAC are very excited about this new change. As much as we would like to advocate for every child on the shared list, it is difficult. There are approximately 2000 children currently on the shared list. It is impossible to know which children have prospective adoptive parents with other agencies. Individual lists will let us know where to direct our efforts.

Another benefit of the Special Focus Children program is that the families who are matched with the children will be given 6 months to complete their dossier instead of 3. Any one who has ever been through the paperwork process for a Chinese adoption knows that this is great news.

And last but definitely not least...China Center for Adoption Affairs has decided to allow the adoption of TWO children at the same time. AAC has experienced placing two children at once a few times. However, this was done by requesting special permission and was only allowed on rare occasions. We are glad to hear that CCAA is now making this more obtainable, as our families who have adopted two children have done well. Of course this is not the best option for all families and there are many things to take into consideration before deciding to do this. If you would like more information about this, please feel free to contact us.

Make sure to check our waiting children listing after September 1st for our new Special Focus Children.

Had a Blast!!!

2010-08-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

The picnic was a success! We had a blast and hope you did too. For those of you who were unable to make it, here are some highlights.

The kids had a blast playing on the playground...

...and the jumpy house.

The sticky wall was a huge hit!

Of course, one of our favorite things was getting to visit with our wonderful families =)

As always, the culture items were available...

Hanboks, Traditional Chinese dresses, squeaky shoes, jewelry boxes, tea sets etc... etc... etc... and of course panda backpacks and panda hats (too cute)

Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association was kind enough to come out and put on a show for us...very cool!

The grand finale was awesome! A traditional Chinese Lion Dance...

Unfortunately we didn't take pictures of the petting zoo. That was great. The kids had a lot of fun, especially getting pony rides.

Thank you to all of you who came. We really enjoyed seeing you and your kids again.

And for everyone else........Please come join us next year =)

The Passing of a Wonderful Man

2010-08-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

It is with sadness that we inform you that Carl Weyl, a long time escort for AAC, has passed away. Carl escorted many many of our Korean babies. His wonderful care of the children was always appreciated. He was always so dependable too. Even if there was a last minute travel notice, we could count on Carl. What a great guy he was. We celebrate his life.

It would mean allot to the Carl's family if the families of the babies that Carl deliverd could make it to his funeral.

If Carl escorted your baby, please contact AAC for the time and place.

ANNUAL PICNIC

2010-08-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

HEY YALL!!!
Don't forget that tomorrow is AAC's annual picnic!!!
This is one of our largest events. It's definately a "Don't miss"
We will have jumpy houses, an inflatable sticky wall, a petting zoo, good BBQ and GREAT people.
The event is fully catered and free of charge. We only ask that you bring a six pack of soda, water or juice.
So come and join us at Berthoud Park from 11am- 2 pm.

Two Great Girls, Still Waiting for a Family!

2010-08-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

Beth and Madeline; two wonderful, loving, beautiful girls, are still waiting for a family. I am actually a bit surprised by this because neither girl has a severe special need. Beth is a healthy child with no medical conditions. Madeline is has a minor form of Thalassemia that does not require blood transfusions. Now, every one in the adoption field knows that an older child is "harder to place". However, having met these girls, I just can't see them that way. Beth was so sweet and Madeline was so charismatic. A family would be blessed to have them as a child.

I am posting the video of Beth and Madeline's performance in hopes that you will be able to catch a glimpse of their wonderful personalities. Both girls were individually featured in previous posts on this blog. Please scroll back to the and read through the descriptions of our time with them. Consider if you are the right family for them. If not please tell others about these two great girls in need of a loving family.

Please remember that AAC will only have these girls files for a few more weeks. I would hate for them to get lost among the multitude of other files on the shared list, especially since they are getting older. Beth is nearing the age of unadoptability so we are especially concerned for her.

2010-08-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

Mister Marshall

2010-08-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

Marshall is a 6 year old boy who is on the go! Within minutes of meeting him we could see that he was full of energy. He was eager to participate in every activity. When I interviewed Marshall I learned that he loves soccer, ping pong and running. I was impressed with how outspoken and confident he was. We asked each of the kids if they had any questions for us. Most of them were shy and said no. Not Marshall. He was eager to know what the plane ride was like. He also wanted to know if there was a bed on the plane. He told me that he really wants to go on a plane to America. This boy very much wants to join a family in the US. Marshall wants brothers, sisters, a dog and toys.
Marshall's cleft lip and palate have been repaired and he is a healthy child. We really enjoyed our time with him. He was a bundle of fun. His zest for life would be a blessing to any family.
Please contact us for more information on this child.

2010-08-05T16:04:00.001-07:00

Meet Drew!

2010-08-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

Drew is darling little guy with a real drive to succeed. The first thing that I noticed about him is his Independence. He works very hard to overcome the challenges that his cerebral palsy brings. He was always wanting to do things himself which showed his "can do" attitude. Drew has some difficulty with his motor skills as many children with CP do. In 2006 Drew had a surgery and has since been doing physical therapy to give him more mobility. He can now stand while holding on to something and walk with crutches or a walker. Doctors that have been caring for him say that there is a good possibility that he could walk independently in the future. Drew is also working hard on his fine motor skills. He practices his handwriting very diligently. Drew benefits from being in a small class that is geared toward assisting children with physical needs. He says that he likes to do his work because he gets prizes =) During our time together, he also told me that he likes to play outdoors and would like to play badminton.
This kiddo has a really good heart and needs a home that can help him grow and reach his full potential. Please contact us for more information on Drew.

Time is running out!

2010-08-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

Oh how the time flys. It seems like just a few weeks ago that I was in China laughing and crying with the best group of kids ever. It is an experience that I will never forget. In reality though, it has been several months. This means that in just a few short weeks, we will need to release the files of the children who have not found their forever family back to CCAA. The children's files will then be placed back on the shared list. The thought of this breaks my heart. While on one hand, I know that this will open their files up to many different agencies; I also know that there are over 1800 children on the shared list. It is very easy to get lost in all of that. It is very easy for these children to become just another file.

The Journey of Hope Program has been a blessing beyond measure. The additional information that we were able to obtain along with pictures, videos and personal experiences has given these children a voice. It has helped prospective adoptive parents to know that a particular child is right for their family. They will not have any of this if their files are placed back on the shared list. Please help to spread the word about these children and their need for a loving home. And Please READ THROUGH THEIR DESCRIPTIONS AGAIN AND CONSIDER IF YOU ARE THE RIGHT FAMILY TO LOVE AND CARE FOR ONE OF THESE KIDS. Many of them have been featured in previous posts so I encourage you to look back in our blog archives. Those who have not yet been featured, will be over the next week. So, please visit our blog often.

Thirty children participated in our Journey of Hope camp. So far 17 children have been matched with their families. That leaves 13 children. Here is a list of the kids who are still hopeing for a home.

Avery- 7yr old boy with a repaired cleft lip and palate and burn scar down his leg
Alex- 2 year old boy with Spina Bifida
Beth- 12 year old girl who is Healthy
Drew- 7 year old boy with Cerebral Palsy
Gabriel-7 year old boy with a deformity of the genitals
Grant- 5 year old boy with
Jared- 6 year old boy with cleft lip and palate
Jillian- 6 year old girl who is Deaf
Madeline- 11 year old girl with minor Thalassemia
Marshall- 6 year old boy with a repaired cleft lip and plalate
Micah- 5 year old boy with a repaired cleft lip and palate
Rudy- 6 year old girl with a minor heart condition
Samuel- 6 year old boy with a deformity of his fingers and one foot.

Meet Jared

2010-08-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

He is all boy. Rough and tumble and and on the go. He was eager to participate in all of the activities we planned. He really enjoys playing with the other children and being part of a group. He is very sweet and full of smiles.
Jared was born with a cleft lip and palate. He has had surgery to correct this. However, because the cleft was complete, it is likely that he will need additional surgeries. At this time there is still a small opening in his palate. This affects his speach. Jared is currently participating in speach therepy where he is showing improvement. After the palate is completely repaired, it is expected that his therepy will have even more possitive effects.
As I write this I am hoping that Jareds family is reading this. He has a very lovable personality and we enjoyed getting to spend some time with him. Could your family be the right family to love and nurture this child? We would be delighted to give you more information. Please feel free to contact us anytime.

Loveable- Snuggley- Alex

2010-07-26T11:23:00.002-07:00

Meet Alex! This little boy is only two years old. He is so adorable and sweet. He's a complete cuddler. He is at the age where he is really shy. So he was more apt to giving us looks that said "Who the heck are you?" than giving us any snuggles. However, he did let Christie hold him for a bit. It was awesome to observe how much love he has for his nannies. He is very attached to them. The relationship was a great sign of the bonding that Alex would be capable of in a forever family.

Alex is post operative for meningocele. This is a type of spina bifida. Alex enjoys tummy time. He can crawl some, however, it is likely that he will never walk.
We hope that families do not stop after reading that. We hope that the right family for Alex is out there and reading this. One thing that we have learned working with adoptive families of waiting children, is that what one family may consider a huge disability, another family thinks it's not that big of a deal. Alex may be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. However, that doesn't mean that he is not able live a quality life. This little boy has so much love to give and deserves so much love in return.

If you would like more information about Alex, please contact us.

2010-07-26T11:23:00.001-07:00

Elvis Is In The Building!

2010-07-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

In all of the hullaballoo about Journey of Hope we haven't posted much about our Korean waiting children. Well we can't have that now can we =)

We'd like to introduce you to little Nathan.

Now Isn't that the best hair you have ever seen. He looks like a miniature Asian Elvis LOL. This little guy is only six months old. He was born with deformity of both ears and hearing loss. He is not profoundly deaf and could possibly benefit from hearing aids of some sort. Nathan is developtmentally on track and has no other medical issues. He is a sweet boy and has allot of potential. He would flourish in the right environment; possibly a family who has experience sign language or is willing to learn.

Please contact AAC for more information about Nathan.

We NEED Your Help!!!!

2010-07-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

As we post our Child of the Day, we hope that the family that is meant for that child is reading that post. However, we realize that many families who follow our blog are currently in the process of adopting already. This post is for those families and for families who are just not at the place in there life where they are adding to their family.

YOU TOO CAN HELP THESE CHILDREN!

I have heard so many amazing stories of how families were led to their children. Many times they heard about their child from a friend. YOU may know someone who is meant to be the family of one of these children. Or someone you know, knows someone who knows someone who will be the light in this child's life. YOU could be part of their story by helping to spread the word.

We are asking EVERYONE... PLEASE tell people that you know about these kids. Post a link to AAC's blog on your blog. Write a post about these kids. Email AAC and tell us if you know of any adoption events in your area. We may be able to send a representative. ANYTHING you can think of to help these children would be fabulous.

We have a counter on this site that tracks how many times our blog is viewed. If you click "view site stats" under the counter it breaks down the statistics for you. When viewing the statistics, click "referrers/ recent hits" on the left hand side of the screen. It will then tell you what pages the last 10 visitors have come from. This way you can see if people are following a link from your page to our page. You can see that you are making a difference. Just think about it...if one person comes across your blog and follows a link to AAC where they happen to read about a wonderful child who they then come to love and make their own...YOU have done something wonderful! YOU are now a piece of that child's puzzle.

We know that some of you have already been advocating for these kids. I have seen monitored the statistics and seen the difference that you are making. THANK YOU!!! PLEASE KEEP IT UP!

Bashful, Beautiful, Bright - BETH

2010-07-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

Beth is a wonderful 12 year old girl. We adored her from the moment we received her file from CCAA. Here is her referral photo. She is so pretty.

When we first met her she smiled shyly. We could tell that the foreign strangers were making her a little uncomfortable. I don't blame her. I can't imagine what I would have felt like at her age if some weird Chinese people were talking to me in gibberish and taking my picture. Despite her shyness, she was very polite.

Right away we noticed the great relationship that she had with several of the other girls from her orphanage. I caught these great shots of them together. Madeline and Rudy's outgoingness seemed to help Beth and a couple of the other girls open up to us more. It was wonderful to watch them interact.

Later in the evening we were able to visit with Beth in her hotel room. During that time We got to see the giggly girl side of her. I absolutely love this shot of Cadence teasing her a bit, playing on her shyness.

During the interview we learned that Beth is a very self assured girl. She knows what she likes and doesn't like and has a very definitive opinion. Beth loves pineapple, and sour and spicy noodles. We learned that she doesn't like dresses and frilly things. She prefers t-shirt and jeans (a girl after my own heart LOL) Some of her favorite colors are pink, yellow and black. She loves ping pong, basketball and badminton. I guess you could say she is a sporty kind of girl. Beth told us that she would like a family with brothers and sisters.

Toward the end of the trip Beth really started to open up to us. While going to lunch or dinner, we encountered her several times in the hotel lobby. Through our facilitator she chatted with us freely. She was such a sweet girl and really captured our hearts.

Beth is a healthy child no medical conditions. The only reason that she is a waiting child is because she is an older child. Everyone at our agency is shocked that this girl has not yet found a family. She is so sweet, so charming, so beautiful, so lovable, so full of potential, sooooo in need of a family.

If your family feels that you are being led to add a child to your family. Please consider Beth. She needs no medical assistance. She only needs love and nurturing. Contact AAC 970-532-3576 or info@aacadoption.com for more information.

An Amazing Gift!

2010-07-03T21:09:00.001-07:00

On Friday we received an amazing gift from one of our adoptive families. A very generous donation! The donation will be used as grant money for our waiting child program. Our appreciation is beyond words. This family has graciously given three years in a row now. They have been instrumental in the placement of many many waiting children. We can not thank them enough.
WHAT A BLESSING

Whooo Hooo

2010-06-28T21:20:00.001-07:00

The families of eight children have been approved!!!
Peyton, Tara, Daniel, Caitlyn, Rachel, Zach and Tessa are now officially matched with their families. Today is a great day! We are elated for each and every family.

We especially celebrate for Daniel. His story is moving and inspirational. Daniel was not originally scheduled to be in the journey of hope program. However, his desire for a family was so great that he approached the orphanage director with a special request. Daniel did not really understand what the program was all about but he knew another child who had been adopted through it. He understood that it would give him a better chance to find a family. After deliberation, the orphanage staff decided to include him. Daniel talked with me candidly about his hope. He also told me that he hoped for lots of brothers and sisters. I promised Daniel that I would try my hardest to find him his family. Several of us cried after we met with Daniel. From our experience, we knew that it was a longshot. Daniel is nearing the age of unadoptability. We would only have a short time. To our delight, Daniel's family found us! He was one of the first children matched! This experience has humbled us and reminded us that we are not the ones matching these children but something greater than us.

We also rejoice for Zach. Zach is blind. In the adoption world that translates into a phrase I really dislike "hard to place". However unpleasant the phrase, statistically it is true. You would be amazed at the number of children on the shared list with vision problems. They are the children who stay on the list the longest too. However, once again, Zach's perfect family found him. We couldn't hope for a better family. In their loving care he will grow to his fullest potential.

We also are thankful for another small miracle (although not small for the family).
Rachel and Caitlyn will be sisters! Not only do these girls have the same medical condition but they have been playmates. They will transition into their new family together. I suspect that they will be a blessing to each other and their bond will be strong. =)

So as we rejoice for these children, we are still praying for the remaining 14 children from our camp. Could you be part of one of these children's story?
Please take a look at the descriptions of these children on our website www.aacadoption.com and below in previous posts. Also stay tuned to this blog for future child of the day postings.

2010-06-28T21:13:00.001-07:00

The Karate Kid Part 2....Avery

2010-06-21T21:36:00.001-07:00

Introducing The Karate Kid part 2. Well actually it's Kung Fu not Karate. Avery is Gabriel's foster brother and they both take lessons. If I had to describe him in one word, I would pick "charming". His sweet smile and charismatic personality won us all over immediately. He is a good learner and is very talanted. Here is his video from the talant show.

I love this picture of him. I think the way he is standing shows a little bit of his personality. Soo confident and charming.

Avery is now in the first grade and does very well in school. His teachers say that he is very smart. He is very friendly and gets along well with the other children. When I asked Avery what his favorite subject was in school, he told me snack time. =) He's a boy after my own heart LOL. Avery also told me that he really wants to go to America. This little guy is doing well in his foster home, but is ready for a family of his own, one that will love and care for him forever.

Check out this smile....TOOO cute!!

Avery's cleft lip and palate have been repaired. He has attended speach classes and has progressed wonderfully. He is a healthy child who is very active. Avery also has a scar from scalding on his buttocks and leg. He has had two surgerys to extend the skin as he grows. As you can see in the video, he has excellent mobility and is even more coordinated than other children his age. Other than itching, it doesn't affect his life at all. He may need additional surgeries as he grows though.

This boy has so much potential. With a loving family he could really flourish. We would love to give you more information on Avery. Please email info@aacadoption.com or call 970-532-3576.

Gabriel- The Karate Kid!

2010-06-21T21:30:00.001-07:00

I'd like to introduce to you an absolutely wonderful little seven year old boy, Gabriel.

This little guy is such a sweet boy. He is in a foster home where he is growing and learning what it is like to be part of a family.

Gabriel is very friendly and full of smiles. When we met him, he impressed us with a few stories that he made up. Gabriel is very imaginative. During game time, he was eager to participate in every activity. He is very creative and made an awesome bracelet at the bead station. During the interview Gabriel told me that he enjoys playing games and riding bikes. He is currently in first grade. He likes school and his friends there. One of Gabriel's favorite things to do is draw.

Gabriel also enjoys practicing Kung Fu. He and his foster brother are taking classes. They are both quite good actually. We were all very impressed at the talant show.
Check out the video below. Awesome!

Gabriel's "special need" is deformity of the genitals. It is not a severe deformity and it is clear (in my opinion) that he is a male. Children with this issue are given a genetic testing just to make sure. It confirmed that he is a boy. He has no issues with urination and is otherwise healthy.

If you are considering adopting a waiting child, I ask you to consider this child. Get some information from your doctor on this specific special need. It is something that effects more people than you would guess and is more minor than most initial notions.

Ask yourself, is this a child you could love?

Travel update

2010-06-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had much to celebrate. Two AAC families returned home with their children while two other's had their gotcha day in China.
Congratulations everyone!!!

Child of the Day- Bundle of Fun- TJ

2010-06-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

Little Mr. TJ is such a cutie pie. When we first met him he was more than ready to play. Like many boys his age, TJ is very energetic. Larry really enjoyed playing ball with him. For a little guy, he's really got an arm on him. He is so silly and fun.

TJ enjoys lots of activities. He told me that some of his favorite things to do (in addition to playing ball) are play with cars, watch cartoons and go fishing. He was really into playing the fishing game during the activities. In fact, he even brought the fishing pole with him to the interview.

TJ is not shy at all. He gives high-fives and hugs freely. He really is a wonderful boy. His cleft lip and palate have been repaired and he has no other medical conditions.

If you would like more information on this child, give us a call 970-532-3576 or email us at info@aacadoption.com.

To the world you are one person, but to one person you could be the world!!!

2010-06-11T15:41:00.001-07:00

More to Celebrate!!!

2010-06-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Leah's family and Landon's family. They have recieved approval and are officially matched with their forever families.

Please check out the children that are still in need of a family! Maybe your child waits for you there!

Upcoming Event

2010-06-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Colorado Families! Don't forget about our next family gathering. This year we are trying something new. Saturday, June 12th we will be having a fun filled day at Boondocks Fun Center in Northglenn.

We will meet at 10:00 am. After some great food and awesome company, enjoy miniature golf, go carts, bumper boats and laser tag with your family.

This event is open to all AAC families regardless where you are in the process. So come one come all. Families who have been home for years, come and reconnect. Families who are waiting for their child to come home, bring your other kids or come be a kid yourself. Families who are considering adoption, come and talk with others who have experienced it.

See you there!

More Hope Being Fulfilled

2010-06-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Cadance and Riley!

Their journey of hope will be fullfilled. Their families have recieved approval! We are overjoyed for these children and for the families too =)

Please everyone, keep spreading the word for those children who are still waiting!

Child of the Day- The AMAZING Sam

2010-06-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

After finishing the posts for our girls with Thalassemia, I had to decide who to post about next. The first one who came to my mind was Sam.

All of the children were wonderful and they equally deserve the love of a family. Naturally though, each of us (the four of us from AAC who had the privilege in going) were drawn to some children more than others. During lunch and dinner we would rave about them and wish that we could bring them home with us. Sam was one of the one's I raved about the most (and still do). If I didn't already have six children at home, I'd be filling out an AAC formal application packet for this little guy!

Sam is 6 years old and has a deformity of some of his fingers and one of his feet. He doesn't let this slow him down one bit though.

I first met Sam that morning in the classroom. He ran up to me and grabbed my hand and brought me to the playdo station. We played there for a while and then moved on to puzzles. I noticed his finger deformity because we were doing things with our hands. However, Sam has totally learned to overcome this. He still has great fine motor skills.

That morning I never noticed the deformity of his foot. He had a shoe on so it wasn't visible. He ran and jumped like any boy his age so it never occurred to me.

Later that afternoon Sam sang a song in the talent show. He was a natural! He is very expressive and comfortable in front of a crowd. During the group performance, we were amazed at Sam's outgoingness and leadership qualities. He left his spot in the crowd and came to the front, facing the group of children with his back to the crowd. He was leading them! Amazing =)

After the show, we played a few games. Sam eagerly participated in every activity that we had. This is when I first noticed his foot. As Sam ran and played his shoe would sometimes fall off. But this is a boy on the go! He would just run back, grab it, put it back on, and keep playing.

I was amazed at all of the things that this boy could do in spite of his "disability". I was even more amazed by his attitude. He didn't seem to be bothered by his differences at all.

I had the privilege of interviewing Sam on the second day. Once again I was in awe of his spirit. He is such a playful boy. And like most kids, he loves candy. After talking with us for a bit (and he was quite talkative) we gave him his gift bag. Sam immediately found his ringpop. Yum! We talked with him for a bit and took a few pictures of his cute little self. I wanted to make sure that we had good pictures of Sam's foot for prospective adoptive families. So, I timidly asked our translator to ask Sam to show us his foot. Some of the kids were more shy showing there "special need" than others. Sam is definitely comfortable with who he is. He had no problem with us taking pictures of his foot. With the sucker still in his mouth, he kicked off his shoe, leaned back and plopped his leg up on the table =) I had to laugh! You know allot of these kids must be used to having doctors and orphanage staff examine them. But I tell you this was not what led Sam to be so comfortable. It's just him! Confidence radiates through his outgoing personality.

We wanted to be able to show how capable Sam is, so we asked him to walk around and jump while we video taped him. We even took him out into the hall and had him run around. I remember thinking to myself "All we have to do is find a family who is open to a boy his age. He will capture their heart as soon as they see this video." Unfortunately the disk that we recorded this on is damaged. I could just scream! Really!

At the end of the day we were all wowed by Sam again. Representatives from CCAA, both orphanages, and AAC were all brought to the front of the room. Larry, the president of the Board and founder of AAC was asked to speak. The director of each orphanage and the CCAA Journey of Hope director also gave short speeches thanking every one involved and stating their hopes for the success of the program. Then, to our delight Sam gave a speech! I'm not sure what all he said but it was adorable!

Do you think that you could offer love and a home to help this amazing boy flourish and grow to his full potential? Do you think your family has room in their hearts for the joy this child could bring to your life? Contact us for more information about this outgoing and loving boy.

More Than a File

2010-06-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

The Journey of Hope Camp was an experience that no words can describe! Yet here I sit and try. Well...it was an emotional kaleidoscope; feelings of joy, sorrow, amazement, worry, love all mixing together. We enjoyed the time that we spent with these kids so much! In the short time that we were there, we came to care for them deeply. The responsibility of finding families for these children weighs on our hearts heavier than ever because we have met them. We have seen their smiles, felt their hugs and know how much they could flourish in a family of their own. They are more than files and a couple of photos. Time and time again we would be smiling over how wonderful they were and then holding back the tears as our hearts broke for them. The most powerful moment I had while I was in China happened when I was back in my hotel room talking with my kids. They were all missing me (I missing them as well) and wanting me to come home. I explained to them that I would be home very soon but that it was important for me to be there. I told them that I was there to help find families for children who didn't have a mommy or a daddy. In that moment the reality of it hit me like a ton of bricks. I've worked at AAC for more some time now and never has it been so raw to me like it was in that moment. Here were my children, missing their mommy. Wanting their mommy to be there to tuck them in a night, send them off to school in the morning, and hug and kiss them. Then there were these loving children who had never known that. I will never forget that moment of clarity.

Many of you reading this post now are already considering adoption (or adopting again). I urge you to consider these waiting children. They are so much more than the words that we can say about them. Please take a look at our website www.aacadoption.com, click on waiting children from the drop down menu and view their profile. If you feel the strings of your heart being tugged by one of them, feel free to call 970-532-3576 or email info@aacadoption.com anytime. I would love to tell you about my experience with that specific child.

~Nicole

Congratulations Harper!

2010-05-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Harper and her forever family! Harper's family is the first to be officially matched with one of our Journey of Hope Children. She is such an amazing little girl and she is going to an awesome family; one that we here at AAC have really enjoyed getting to know. We look forward with you to the time that she joins your happy family.
Congratulations guys!

Beautiful little Harper, soon to be united with her forever family

Child of the Day- Our Angel- Rachel

2010-05-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Rachel is a sweet little soul. She has the face of an angel and the personality to match.

When we first met Rachel, we were in a small preschool type room with about 20 children and a few nannies. She took right to us. She played puzzles with us, and showed us the books she liked. She really liked books. I think we each read her a couple of them. We noticed that Rachel was very friendly with the other children too and shared easily. She had a beautiful smile and we just loved her.

Later on that afternoon, during the talent show we learned that she's not to keen on being in the spotlight. Rachel is very shy when she is the focus of everyone's attention. She pushed through the performance like a trooper though. When she forgot the words to her song, the other children chimed in to help her; it was really sweet. I can't blame her for being shy though. You know they say that the number one phobia people have is public speaking. It's something like 75%. I can totally relate to that. Shy or not, she still did a great job.

During the first part of our interview with Rachel, she was still a little shy. I'm not sure she knew what to think of all of these adults sitting around looking at her and talking to her and about her. It probably didn't help much that she had a video camera pointed at her. When Rachel recieved her giftbag, she was able to forget a little about all the strange people. She was very excited to see her coloring book. She really likes to color and her favorite color is yellow. Rachel always had a ready smile.

Her personality really opened up again when she was back with the other kids. She loved playing the games and was eager to participate in everything. She beamed when she was having some of Daniel's birthday cake.

Rachel is the definition of sweety pie. She is loving, friendly, and beautiful. Her Thalassemia, causes her to need blood transfusions every 4-8 weeks.

Please watch the video in the post earlier this week and consider talking to your doctor about Thalassemia. If you have room in your heart and home for this child, please give our office a call.

2010-05-30T09:12:00.001-07:00

2010-05-28T12:45:00.001-07:00

Child of the Day- Caitlyn- The Little Sweetie Pie

2010-05-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

One word comes to mind when I think of Caitlyn... adorable! Everything about her is adorable, from her cute little face to her sweet little face and everything in between.

We met Caitlyn on the first morning of the camp. All of us were enamored with her. Who could resist that beautiful face?! Caitlyn was pretty outgoing and played with us right away. She liked to participate in all of the activities going on; story reading, puzzles, playdo...you name it. We also noticed how well she got along with the other kids. My favorite time was when she showed us her necklace that her "auntie" gave her. It was so cute how proud she was of it.

Later on, Caitlyn made us all melt when she performed in the talet show. She did an awesome job! She was really coordinated and even graceful. We all "aaahhh"ed over her sweet little voice and girly little dance. The amazing thing about it was it was how confident she was. She was really comfortable in front of the croud.

During our one on one time with her we saw more of her outgoing personality. She was more talkative than many of the other children. Caitlyn is very self assured and will tell you what she thinks. She told us the things that she does and doesn't like. For instance; she likes singing, reading stories and playing with blocks. She doesn't like cookies, but likes vegetables. (Yes folks, another child who prefers vegies over sweets... I love that).

Caitlyn's Thalassemia causes her to need blood transfusions every month or two. She realy needs a family who can love and nurture her. If you think that your family might be the one, please contact our office.

Check out the pictures of our beautiful Caitlyn in the post above.

Child of the Day- Miss Personality- Madeline

2010-05-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

This girl has got personality! Madeline is one of the most charismatic girls you will ever meet. She's outgoing, funny and sweet.

When I first met Madeline, she had just arrived at the orphanage where the camp was being held. She and eight of the other children had traveled from a different orphanage about 3 hours away. Most of these children were a little shy. Understandably so, since they were in a new place with strange people. Not Madeline though! Marissa and I went over to say Nihao. Madeline jumped right up to great us. We shook everyones hands and exchanged some introductions that, because of the language difference, none of us really understood. Maddie was all smiles and charm just radiated from her! Marissa and I took some photos of the kids. They really liked it when we would show them the picture of themselves. Madeline would giggle excitedly and then strike another pose. She was definately comfortable being the center of attention. Check out the photos of her below. The girls were so silly and cute! You can really tell what a ham Madeline is. You just gotta lover her!

We played with them for a short period of time while the others were setting up for the presentation. At one point Maddie gestured that she like to opperate the camera. I enjoyed watching her as she played photographer with her friends for a few moments. I couldn't help but notice that Madeline is such a leader. Her instant connection with us helped the other kids to open up to us too.

Later that afternoon, the kids put on a talent show for us. They all did such a great job! Some of them were a little nervous to be in front of so many people. But once again, not Madeline. She was the such a confident little performer. Hmmm, do we have a future superstar on our hands here?

The next day Marissa, Larry and Sandy lead the children in games and activities. They got to see more of Madeline's spunky personality. She was always eager to participate. Also she got along really well with the other children. Her caretakers say that EVERYONE likes her allot. We can see why cause we liked her very much too!

Christie was able to spend some one on one time with Madeline. During that time, she told us that she likes playing barbies and dress up. She also likes to draw. Maddie enjoys icecream, fruit and vegetables. Yes that's right she loves vegtables! She doesn't care for meat though. Madeline is smart too. She speaks both Maderine and Canotnese. Christie really enjoyed getting to know her.

Madeline is one of the four girls in this group who have been diagnosed with Thalassemia. Her case is very minor and she does not need transfusions or chelation. Her blood is simply monitered. This girl really needs a family where her amazing personality will be nurtured. She would bring so much joy to any family. Please watch the video posted yesterday about Thalassemia. If you feel that your family may be the right family for this child please contact us. We would love to give you more information.

2010-05-26T16:23:00.001-07:00

Could your family love and care for a child with Thalassemia?

2010-05-25T00:18:00.000-07:00

The process of adopting a waiting child begins far before you get to the paperwork. Often times it begins with a transformation of your mind. The thought of caring for a child with "special needs" may be frightening at first. Through life's experiences you then realize that bringing a child with a medical diagnosis into your family may not be as scary as it seems. I love hearing people's stories on how they came to that conclusion. Each one is unique and moving.

Once you have decided to add to your family through this route, there will be many more decisions to make. One of the most daunting questions you will face is "What medical conditions are you open to?" You may be asked if you would consider caring for a child with a condition that you never heard of before. We always ask that you discuss these conditions with your doctor. However, there is more to the picture than that. We ask you to explore and find out what it is like to parent a child with one of these conditions from people who actually live it. We ask you to look past the diagnosis and see the heart of a child.

This week we would like to talk about a medical condition that can be very confusing, Thalassemia. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that effects the production of hemoglobin. It is an inherited disease and is not contagious. In some cases children with this condition must have blood transfusions and chelation therapy on a regular basis. Four girls from our Journey of Hope program (Madeline, Caitlyn, Rachel and Tara) have this condition. We will post highlights about each of these girls through out the week. So stay tuned! For now we would like to share with you stories of children with this condition and the families who love them. We would like to thank Love Without Boundaries for their work in putting this video together. Our hats are off to them for all they do for children in need of families.

Still Many Children In Need of A Family!

2010-05-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

AAC would like to thank everyone and for spreading the word about our Journey of Hope Kiddos. We have had quite a bit of interest and a few of them are even on hold while families await Initial Approval. We will keep you updated as they find their families.

However, there are still many children in need of a loving home. Tomorrow we will kick off our "Child of the Day" posts. Make sure to follow our blog so that you can read all about these wonderful children.

If you feel that you may be able to make a difference in the life of one of these children, please contact AAC today. You can also help by continuing to tell anyone and everyone about them! You could be a part of their Journey of Hope!

Girls Girls Girls !!!

2010-05-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

About half of our Journey of Hope girls are now listed on AAC's website. The other half will be posted tomorrow. Check them out... you may see the sweet face of your waiting child =)

More TAs

2010-05-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

AAC received Travel Notices for three families today !!!
Time for all of those travel plans that you have been thinking about for so long to be solidified.
You will soon hold your sweet children in your arms. Congratulations guys!

Journey of Hope Day Two

2010-05-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

We were all very excited for the second day of our visit to Long Gang Social Welfare Institute.

Upon entering the courtyard, we were impressed by the cleanliness beauty of the building. Whatever your expectation of an “orphanage” might be, this wonderful place would surprise you. You enter through a large hall where there are brightly colored pictures on the wall. Going up the stairs our hearts were pumping fast. We didn’t know what to expect, but we came prepared to have a good time with the children.

AAC had put together bags and bags of arts and crafts supplies. There were markers, paint brushes, paints, stickers, felt boards, bubbles..(lots of bubbles!), games, noise makers, and two very big “parachutes”.

We were setting up for our day of fun when the children came into the room. They entered holding the shirt of the child in front of them. It was such fun to see them “march in” looking like tiny elephants coming into a circus ring. They were excited to see us and gave us huge smiles when they recognized us as the visitors from the day before.

Christie and Nicole were set up in a room to interview each child. During the interviews the orphanage staff tried to make sure that the teacher who was most familiar with that particular child was present. They talked with the kids about what they like and what they thought about being adopted by a family in America. They were also able to ask the child's caretaker about the child's everyday personality such as how they get along with other children etc. They discussed with the orphanage staff the child's special need and asked many questions.

Sandy, Marissa and Larry got to PLAY!! And play we did!! Among our many very active games were “Ring Around the Rosy”…the children loved singing and going around, but were very unsure that it was necessary to “all fall down”. They laughed and shouted.

The parachutes were a huge hit. The parachutes have handles on them about every 12 inches and the children (and us) held on to the handles and then, 1,2,3…UP!! Then DOWN. We put big beach balls on the chutes and tried to keep them going higher and higher. Then, one of the children would go under the chute and we cover and uncover him. The children could have done this forever, but the adults were getting very hot and tired.

I had a great time with a red flag and a green flag that Marissa had made. The children lined up and marched to music and had to STOP!! when the red flag was raised, and GO!! When the green flag was raised. If they failed to stop, they were out. It was so much fun to laugh with them when they forgot to stop.

Another great hit was working at art projects. At many tables, art supplies such as cut-outs of parts of flowers, houses, children, horses, cows, and many others, were glued onto big poster boards. The dexterity of the children and the great imaginations of these little people was amazing. They were able to create beautiful posters of houses with flowers (with many details such as exactly the right number of leaves) and lots and lots of abstract designs.

It was great to watch as many of the children, (remember they are young and have some handicaps) made necklaces and bracelets by stringing beads. They were patient and concentrated hard to thread the small beads. The necklaces and bracelets were really beautiful.

Perhaps the most memorable event of this amazing day was when we had a “birthday party”. Daniel was turning 16 the next day and so we had the kitchen at the hotel make a big and heavy cake saying “Happy Birthday” on it. Just before it was time for us to leave, we put a lot of candles on it and lit them and brought it out, singing “happy birthday” to Daniel. He was thrilled, embarrassed, shy, happy, unsure it was for him, and over-all tickled to pieces. The children kept singing and then we cut the cake. Oh my gosh!!! They loved it. It was just so much fun, but most of all, it was such a great pleasure to see Daniel and his never changing smile. We just can't tell you enough how special of a boy that Daniel is.

We were very greatful to the orphanage for the wonderful care they give to these kids. We got to experience first hand how much they care for them. It must be hard for them to come to love them so and hope for them to have a family and then to watch them leave and most likely never see them again. In effort to give the staff something to remember the children by, we had a special project planned. Marissa had brought blocks of fabric with holes punched in the corners and each of the children drew a picture on a block. We then tied them together to make a quilt. The quilt will be hung on the wall of the orphanage. What a great reminder of a happy day that will be! The children were delighted to see their work being brought together.

Leaving was hard to do even though we were all very tired and hot. It had been a day of joy, sadness, running, playing, working, hugging, crying, and most of all, loving!!

Christie and Nicole did wonderful, hard work and got great information about all the children.
Larry, Marissa and I had one of the most wonderful days of our lives enjoying every activity with the children.

It will be a day we will all remember and every one of us hope that EACH of the children will be adopted and have a forever family who will love them and encourage their amazing skills and desire to learn new things.

Back at the hotel, we couldn’t quit talking about “our” experiences. (each of us has different special memories). What an amazing experience!!!!

Then we were off to to Korea.

~By Sandy

Attention Attention, Read All About 'Em

2010-05-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Go to the waiting children section of AAC's website to see the Journey of Hope kids! We have posted all but two of the boys as we are still waiting for Daniele and Zack's medical information. They will be put online as soon as we get it. We still have allot of information to sort through so the girl's won't be posted for a few more days.
Check it out. Maybe your child is listed there! Also make sure to spread the word to family and friends. We all need to work together to help these kids find families.

First Journey of Hope Program a Huge Success

2010-05-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

On Saturday April 24th Larry, Marissa, Christie, Sandy and myself headed to China for our first ever Journey of Hope Camp. After a 33-hour voyage, we finally arrived in Shenzhen City, Guangdong. We were so excited to get things goings that we unpacked our camp supplies right away. Here we are putting together the kids gift bags.

The following morning, we were able to meet the twenty children from Long Gang Social Welfare Institute.

As we approached the classroom, none of us really knew what to expect. Would the children be shy? Would it take a while for them to open up to us? To our delight, when we entered, we were greeted excitedly. The children were all thrilled to see us! Many of them grabbed our hands to show us things; eager to have us join them. It was amazing how open and loving they all were.

We were able to spend a few hours getting to know them. Marshall showed us his creativity with play-do. TJ was energized and “all boy.” He really enjoyed playing ball with Larry and Marissa.

Lydia was a little quiet but was content to sit on my lap and read books. Well they were all in Chinese of course, so we made them up as we went along. Zach loved doing puzzles with Marissa and Sandy. He did a great job feeling the shapes and matching them. I had an awesome time with Harper linking together these intricate little wheels. And I must say, Peyton amazed me! She has genuinely overcome her disability. I watched her put together small foam alphabet puzzles that showed her remarkable dexterity. Grant was all smiles; a very friendly boy. Leah’s outgoing personality astounded us all. She went right up to Larry and started playing with him.

After lunch, the nine children from Guangzhou SWI joined us. We only had a few minutes to spend with them at that time. Some of the older children like Beth, Cadence and Daniel were a little shy. That was totally understandable. They were, after all, in a new place with a bunch of strange people wanting to take their picture. Madeline and Rudy were very outgoing. They were such camera hams.

It was then time for our presentation. Staff from the orphanage and CCAA along with all of the children assembled together in a large room. We told the children about America and many things that they might experience if they were adopted into the US. The kids loved seeing pictures of America and of adoptive families.The children had a presentation of their own too!They put on an adorable group routine. They were all so awesome! You could tell that they had practiced very hard. Following that, the kids each did an individual performance. Many of the children sang songs or did dances. A couple of the boys showed off what they had learned in Kung Fu class. Even Leah was out there kicking and punching. What a doll she is.

We were able to play some games with the kids before it was time for us to say goodnight.

After dinner we were pleased to learn that the nine children from Guangzhou SWI were staying in our hotel and that we would be able to spend some more time with them. What a treat it must have been for them to travel to another city and stay in a hotel. It sure was a treat for us to be able to spend some one on one time getting to know them. We learned that Cadence is a real girly girl. Beth is the opposite. She will only wear jeans and t-shirts. We saw that although Isabelle is deaf and doesn’t know sign she is a really smart girl and can communicate what she wants. She is also able to mimic people actions very well. Madeline and Rudy are very outgoing and love to sing and dance. Here’s our little princess Cadence.
Beth was being a little shy at first. She’s so sweet!

That night, Daniel captured our hearts most of all. He spoke to us about his strong desire to have a family of his own. He is 13 now and only has a year before he is ineligible for adoption. We will post more about Daniel as well as the other children later. Please be praying for him!

We ended the day with our hearts overflowing with love for each one of these children. I don’t know how many times that our eyes swelled with tears throughout the day. Our hearts broke for them and at the same time we were filled with hope for them. They are all truly amazing. What a blessing it was to have met them.
We couldn’t wait for the next day…. To be continued.

~By Nicole

Coming Home

2010-04-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Three AAC families are currently on their long journey home from China! We wish them safe, smooth travel and a quick recovery from jet lag. =)
Welcome home guys!!

More Exciting News

2010-04-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

The past six weeks, AAC has been very busy with many LOA’s and TA’s coming in. Today, we received yet another exciting package from CCAA. One more family has received LOA. They are now one step closer to bringing home their son.

Also, we had another China arrival this past Friday. Welcome Home Evan and family!

Introducing the Journey of Hope Program

2010-04-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

Brand New for 2010- Journey of Hope!

AAC is proud to announce that we have been approved to partner with CCAA in the Journey of Hope Program that matches our agency with 29 waiting children from an orphanage in the Guangdong province. These children range in age from 5 to 13 years old and have diverse special needs. In just two short weeks, four representatives from AAC will travel to China to host a Journey of Hope Day Camp for these kids. We will interact with them through games and activities, and spend some one-on-one time with each of them.

Journey of Hope will give these children a better chance of being placed with a forever family. The videos and personal reports that we bring back will bring to life a child’s file. It is hard to know a child only from pages of medical information. You can’t see how smart or spunky they are in still photos! And they don’t have the opportunity to tell you about their hope for a family. Not only will prospective adoptive parents be able to see a glimpse of a child’s heart but doctors will now have more information on which to base a prognosis.

Another benefit of this program is the opportunity to prepare these children for adoption. We will discuss with them on their level what life is like when you are a part of a family and what life is like in America.

The staff of AAC is very excited to be a part of this venture. After the camp, we will post the children’s information on our website, so keep an eye out and spread the word!

Adoption for All Children- especially the ones who wait

WELCOME

2010-04-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome to AAC's first venture into blogging! We hope this endeavor will help us to better communicate with our adoptive families and keep you updated on our agency's programs and events. We hope to post information regarding such topics as adoption trends, process times and travel tips. Please visit our site often, and pass the word to your friends- AAC has joined the cyberspace community!