Host Kids Need Forever Families

Host Kids Need Forever Families

Our summer host program has come to a close. Now comes the big task, bringing all of these kiddos home for good! Several of these kiddos are being adopted by their host families or have found a family because of this program, however there are a few kiddos that still NEED families. Their host families have been advocating for them since day one and brought them here to the U.S. to try and help them find a family. The files for these kiddos are far more extensive then a normal file. Their host families are more than excited to talk to prospective families and share all of their experiences. If you can’t bring one of these kiddos home, at least share this blog so we can bring these little ones home for good!

Meet Tanner!

My name is Tanner and I am 7 years old. I have swollen glands under my tongue and some hearing loss in my right ear. I am lively kid and just returned to China from a hosting trip in the United States. I am hoping to be able to return one day with my forever family.

Meet Gwen!

Hi, my name is Gwen and I am 8 years old. Some of my muscles are weak and I need some help but other than that I am a lot like my peers. I was just hosted by a family in the United States and had so much fun. They are helping me find a forever family, and I hope to one day return to the U.S. forever!

Meet Gavin! – GWCA has $3000 grant available for my forever family!

Hi! I’m Gavin! I just started school at home last September and am learning a lot! I know my numbers and can count different objects I see. I am still working on learning my colors. I like to charm others and I love getting to play with my friends. My doctors helped me correct my cleft in my palate and lip and they also tell me that I am a Hep B carrier. I can hear well but I do have to eat softer foods. My favorite things are watching little bear cartoons and playing with cars and legos.

There is nothing negative to say about him.  He is just a wonderful little boy who would fit in any family. -Gavin’s Host Mom

Meet Bo! – GWCA has $3000 grant available for my forever family!

My name is Bo and I am 10 years old. My doctors say that I have Spina Bifida and I need help getting around. I am very friendly and love being active. I just visited the United States for the first time and really enjoyed my stay with my host family. I would love to be able to return someday with a family of my own.

Meet Jim!

HI, I’m Jim and I will be 11 years old soon. I am currently being hosted by a family in the United States and want more than anything to return with a forever family. My doctors say that I have good health. I am a smart boy and I get a long well with my caregivers. I love watching cartoons and playing outside with my friends.

Meet Hope! – GWCA has $3000 grant available for my forever family!

Hi, I am Hope and I am 9 years old. I am currently enjoying my time in the U.S. with my host family. My host Mom shared a lot about me in hopes to help me find a forever family.

“Hope is a fun loving 9 year old.  She smiles and laughs alot.  She has cerebral palsy but can walk using a walker and can transfer to low lying chairs as well as use the restroom and dress herself with some assistance. She tries hard but needs encouragement to keep pushing herself to do new things. She responds well to praise. She loves music and after three weeks with our family picked up many songs and even began using phrases in English.  Hope enjoys crafts and will spend hours using markers, making things with foam stickers and always has a pen and paper near by to draw with. While she was part of the hosting program she received glasses which helped her enjoy things like TV shows and movies since she could finally interact with them and know what parts were funny.  She likes the Disney movie Frozen and can sing part of the song “Do you want to build a snowman?”  She also received AFOs (leg braces) and is learning to walk using those and her walker.  We are a large family and she was able to learn our names and get along with each member well.  Hope is strong willed and also a perfectionist. While her initial adjustment to our family was difficult and she had trouble adjusting to schedules, foods and boundaries, she learned to like all American foods and eat well (except pizza!). She benefits from love and a good schedule with consistent boundaries as she learns what it means to be part of a family. Her response to disappointments resembles a much younger child (meltdowns and tantrums). As she made daily progress in our home, these became less frequent. She has learned what it means to have a “mommy”, “daddy” and lots of brothers and sisters but might thrive in a smaller family than ours. We believe she would do well in a family that understands the complex needs of cerebral palsy, who have the physical strength to attend to daily needs and also possibly older siblings that could praise her often. She will need help learning to manage emotions and behaviors in positive ways and how to be part of a family and accept love but not demand constant attention or help with the things she can do for herself. ” – Hope’s Host Mom

Meet Dean! 

Dean is a very sweet boy 11 year old boy. He is very active and likes to try new things. He is considerate of others and helpful around the house when asked. He loves to do anything that is active, but doesn’t like to read. He is a very good athlete and can do flips, and other tumbling activities. He also can ride a bike and rip-stick well. My husband played baseball with him and said he had very good hand-eye coordination. He didn’t know how to swim when we met him, but when we took him to the local pool, he watched others and worked at it independently and after 4 weeks of swimming almost every day is a very good swimmer now. He loves to dive and would watch the dives other people did, then work on them until he could do them. He is very mechanical and likes to figure out how everything works. He is a good eater. He was willing to try most any food, and enjoyed most of them, especially if they were spicy. Particular favorites were pizza, cheeseburger, Spanish rice, chips and salsa, French fries, and noodles. His very favorite thing to eat is Pineapple and he taught me how to cut it like they do in China. He enjoyed all fruits, and vegetables. Like any other 11 year old boy, he enjoyed electronics. But always asked before using the Kindle or DS, and when I told him no, or he had enough time on them, he was always very obedient and put them back on the charger. He does not particularly like movies on DVD. He would rather be doing something more active…whether that was video games or outside activities, or puzzles. He loved to watch videos of himself and other family members on my phone. When he first arrived he did not know much English. But he is very good at reading gestures and body language and figuring out what you are trying to tell him. After the first time communicating something with gestures, if you made that gesture again, he immediately knew what you meant. After one month in the U.S., he spoke some basic English phrases and would use them readily. He bonded well with both host mom and dad. He particularly liked his older brothers. He had one younger host brother who was 4. He generally was very kind to him, but was a bit impatient with his annoying 4 year old behaviors. We believe he could thrive in a family here in America. He also loved both our cat and dog. He loved the song Gangnum Style and would dance to it and always say it to make our 4 year old smile! He has no known special needs. While he was in America, his teeth were checked and determined to be very good. He has very good personal hygiene. Bathing regularly and brushing his teeth every morning and evening. He also had his eyes checked and has good vision. -Dean’s Host Mom

 

Meet Elliott! – I HAVE FOUND MY FOREVER FAMILY!