A Chance for a Home

"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home." - Johann von Goethe

Home. Family. Backyard cookouts. A table laden with more than we can eat on Thanksgiving day. These things ground us, offer us stability, and give us an environment where we can learn, explore, grow, and even self-actualize.

Yet for 210 million children, these basic human needs will never be met because most of these children will come of age in an institution, never knowing a family, never experiencing the warmth, joy and acceptance of a home environment.

These children are orphans. And for them, finding a family is like winning a lottery. It is a dream come true, when all the pieces fall together and home becomes a reality.

Those who never find a home face hurdles and burdens that no child should bare. They face years of loneliness and despair. Many fail to thrive in their institutions, most experience developmental/language delays and grow slowly. A general rule of thumb, children raised in orphanages lose approximately 1 month of linear growth for every 3 months in orphanage care.

The good news is that many of these children will make a complete recovery after adoption. Within just a few years, some of them will have caught up physically, mentally, and emotionally to their home grown counterparts. Others progress more slowly, but they all progress given the right environment.

Many warm, loving families want to bring these wonderful kids into their homes. To take them in, love them, nurture them, and support them. In fact, there are many couples who would jump for joy at the chance of adding an orphaned child to their family. Adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees, immigration fees and so on quickly pile up. Before a prospective couple or family can even begin to look for a child, they know theyll have to overcome the biggest hurdle of all the $20,000 or so price tag.

Unfortunately, most good, prospective parents cant afford to pay even a fraction of these costs. So the children sit and wait.

Private and community efforts can change all that they can bring orphans home to the loving parents that so desperately want them.

Just imagine seeing the glee in a young boys eyes the first time he sees his new home. Not just any home, but one with a mom and dad he can call his own.

You can help make that happen as a volunteer and donor for A Childs Desire or any one of many organizations which provide financial assistance for adopting families. And A Childs Desire makes it easy for individuals and groups to get involved in a volunteer program and to play a central role in providing adoption grants for children who have waited in an orphanage for more than a year for a family to choose them.

Youth groups, scout troops, social clubs, etc. can sponsor a child and if all goes well see that child find a family and a home just for him. There are volunteer programs suited for home-schooled teenagers, for college students and for senior citizen centers.

Even if you are unable to adopt a child yourself you can still make a difference by volunteering your time or through making a donation, which will enable another family to overcome the hurdles of adoption. All children deserve to have families and homes. Dont make a lonely child wait, together we can make his dreams come true.

About The Author

Tanya Sturman is the volunteer director for A Childs Desire, Inc., a 501 c(3) childrens charity. More information can be found at www.aChildsDesire.org

grants@achildsdesire.org

---

Top Ten Reasons to Hold Family Meetings

1. Make stronger connections among individuals and, therefore, creates a... Read More

Dyslexia: Is the Shoe Perhaps on the Wrong Foot?

Reading is the most important skill that a child must... Read More

Top 10 Mistakes by New and Expectant Dads

From criticizing a spouse, to claming up about one's own... Read More

Youth In A Changing World

IntroductionChildren are the gifts of God to parents. That young... Read More

What Makes a Good Evaluation for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

So you have just returned home from your third meeting... Read More

Clean Your House Green for your Children?s Sake

My thirteen-year-old daughter recently called me up to say she... Read More

Teaching Problem Solving Skills to Children with ADHD

Even though the "Stop and Think" movement in ADHD treatment... Read More

Potty Training ?To Train or Not to Train?

I have always found the notion of toilet training a... Read More

Three Sure-Fire Ways to Teach Your Child About Safety

Levels of SafetyBy teaching our children there are different levels... Read More

Who Are Your Kids Talking To Online?

Studies have shown that:1 out of 4 children were sent... Read More

CPR: Why You Should Know It

I never dreamed that I would be in a position... Read More

Parents of Teens: Do You Ever Ask WHY is she so MEAN to me?

Do you ever wonder what is behind the occasional nasty... Read More

Fuzzy Names, Sweet Names

As with everything, names go through cycles of change with... Read More

The Secret, Unconscious Game Children and Parents Play Where No One Wins!

Did you know there's a game children and parents play... Read More

How to Parent Your Teen Effectively

Maintain CommunicationEven though teens need to separate from their parents... Read More

7 Ways to Know Your Child

How well do you really know your child?There is so... Read More

A Mothers Way

Dear MomOn this day set aside to honour "Mother's" let... Read More

Teaching Kids to Read

We are all so very happy to see that the... Read More

Where Is Your Homework, Lisa?

Is Homework Really That Important?Dear Friends,I no longer teach in... Read More

Television - The Great SATAN!

I've often thought that in 6 million years, archaeologists will... Read More

Reading Activities Parents Can Use For Their Children

Using 14 "at" Flashcards To Teach Reading:This exercise helps your... Read More

Public-school Teachers Know Best --- They Send Their Kids To Private Schools

A study done by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found... Read More

Loving Your Step-Children

Loving your step-child can be both simple and hard. It... Read More

Bullies

Bullies are an ugly but very real part of childhood.... Read More

Back to School - Disappontment?

Our back-to-school buying habits do not help kids succeed in... Read More

Hiking with Children

There is nothing quite like hiking with small children. The... Read More

Visiting the Library

Libraries offer more than books. They are places of learning... Read More

Failure or Future? Its Up To YOU!

We all want to comfort our children after they suffer... Read More

Monitoring Your Teens for Drug Use Without Appearing to be Spying

Even if your teenagers do not use drugs, you still... Read More

Parents Dealing with Worry and Fear

Dear Vijay,I worry about not being a good parent. My... Read More

Toilet Terrors And Other Potty Training Fears

Potty training fears, often called toilet terrors, are common among... Read More

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) for Teen Drivers

Drivers 16 years of age have little driving experience, putting... Read More

The Top 5 Reasons Why Unwed-Parents Must Establish Paternity

"It takes a village to raise a child" is more... Read More