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Children in need of Parents By Analiz González
Once the children turn 16, they can’t be adopted internationally. Which pretty much means they won’t get adopted at all, said Debbie Wynne, director of Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services. “When the children turn 18, they’re forced out into the street,” she said. “Domestic adoptions in Russia are rare. And when they are adopted in Russia, they are younger children. So the only chance these children have of a forever family is to be adopted internationally.”
Some of the children have already been placed in orphanages for older children, which separated them from their younger siblings. Kostya and his sister, Ella participated in the summer 2005 Buckner Angels from Abroad program and are desperately in need of a family together. Kostya had to be separated from Ella in the fall of 2006 because he’s older than 12. His sister misses him and prays for them to be reunited in a family.
According to adoption staff, the siblings have been waiting for families for several years. “Everyone that knows them feels they’d be great in an adoptive family,” Wynne said. Another pair of siblings who was separated because of their ages is Dima and Kristina. Their 2005 Angels from Abroad host family described Kristina as a “very happy child, communicative, caring and loving.” Dima was called “quiet patient and stable.”
And a donor has offered to pay for all the adoption fees for Kristina and her brother, Dima, Taylor said. “There would still be other costs, but it would be significantly less expensive than at typical international adoption,” Taylor said. Sergey, another child waiting to be adopted, participated in the summer 2006 Angels from Abroad program.
There are also four children staying at a private home in Guatemala City who are in need of adoption. Luis Yovany, born in 2004, needs a family who will care for his developmental and other possible identified and unidentified needs. His caregivers describe him as a happy, affectionate child.
Jenny Pope, who participated on a mission trip to Guatemala, described him as playful and smart. “He would just sit in my lap and stare up into my face, pulling my hair down over my eyes and then gently brushing it away,” Pope said. “He was also very loving with the other children, acting like a big brother to some of the younger ones.” Juan Pablo, 5, was a baby when 90 percent of his body was burned by a gas explosion. His mother abandoned him when she saw how badly he was injured.
He was placed in a government-run orphanage for about two years, where he received some medical help and is now under the care of Buckner. Pope described him as affectionate and easy going.
Isabel was born in July 2004. She likes to paint and color and play with her friends. When she first came to home in Guatemala, she was underweight and malnourished. She has some developmental delays, but through therapy, she has greatly improved. Isabel has blossomed since she came to Buckner, receiving weekly therapy and individualized care. She’d do well in a Christian family who is committed to her needs associated with developmental delays. For more information on adopting children through Buckner, contact Phil Brinkmeyer or Irina Shytova at (214) 381-1552. Or call toll-free at 1-866-236-7823.
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(DALLAS) — Buckner Adoption urgently needs to find families for orphans who will soon age out of foster care. There’s also a need for families interested in taking home younger children.
Statistics show that 10 percent of the kids put out by the orphanages are victims of either homicide or suicide within three years. Thirty percent live lives of crime and 30 percent live on the street. That’s why Buckner is pushing for the adoption of several sibling groups who are approaching that age, Wynne said.
The Angels from Abroad host parents described Ella as “easy-going and loving.” She’s quick to hug people she knows and is very respectful of adults. And Kostya is “friendly and communicative and likes to play games.”
Kristina suffers from a joint problem that affects one of her knees. But it doesn’t keep her from swimming and playing outdoors. Doctors at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital said she will need some ongoing medical care and they’ll do a free, more thorough evaluation once she’s adopted.
His host family described him as “intelligent, a problem-solver and an observer.” He’s also “self-sufficient, but also accepting of help from others.” They also said he’s inquisitive and delights in learning new things.
Five-year-old Danny loves school, helping younger kids, doing chores and playing with friends in the park. He may have some unidentified special needs, but he has made tremendous progress with individualized care.
Juan Pablo was about a year old when he was burned over 90 percent of his body by a gas explosion in his home. After his mother saw how badly he was hurt, she abandoned him at the hospital.
Juan Pablo will need medical treatments for his burns and for Chronic Lymphangitis.
