Sending Care Packages and Review room update
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Bookmark :
CCAA Portal Update!
LID’s through the review room: AUGUST 31, 2007
LID’s through referral: MARCH 20, 2006
CCAA's portal has announced that dossiers have now been reviewed through August, 2007! Congratulations to those families who have passed this milestone!
To China... With Love...
Many families inquire about sending a package to their child in China. This email will attempt to address this inquiry. After a family accepts the referral of their child, they may send her/him a care package. Bethany Christian Services does not encourage nor discourage this for healthy children. Most "healthy referrals" are too young to understand this package and orphanages do not have the manpower to distribute these packages as you request them to. Some orphanages do not accept packages at all. On the other hand, we do appreciate the value of potentially having photos of the child's orphanage (especially if a visit is not an option during travel) cribmates, caretakers, and the child in their familiar environment, etc. When weighing the risks of the cost to send the package, the timing, and the potential value, the decision is up to the family.
If you decide to send a package to your child, please keep in mind the following suggestions/recommendations:
1. If you send a package, there is no guarantee that your child will receive it before you arrive, or even at all. For this reason alone, please do not send valuables or any item that you cannot part with.
2. Keep it small. Do NOT include gifts for caretakers or other children. You will have the opportunity to hand carry gifts with you when you travel to China that can be distributed to the orphanage. A small package will cost anywhere between $50-100 in shipping.
3. Bethany is unable to provide you with the direct orphanage addresses. You may search for them online or through an organized website. It is best to print the address off in English & the local dialect in Chinese for shipping purposes. You will also need the Chinese characters to your child's name.
4. When shipping these small packages to China, mark the "value" as "0" so that the contents are not considered attractive to others.
5. If you choose to include a note, please keep it short and have it translated into the local dialect. Most orphanage caretakers do not speak/read English, nor will they have the resources to have it translated.
6. Do NOT include your personal identification nor contact information.
Suggested contents:
1. ONE Disposable camera. Be sure to mark your child's name (English & Chinese) and dob directly onto the camera and not the wrapping. This will hopefully make it easier for the caretakers to keep track of the camera. Do not expect that this will be developed for you. Some families receive the camera back when they receive their child, others never see the camera again.
2. A small, plush item. This can be a stuffed animal, a small blankie, or even something as simple as a washcloth. It is encouraged that you sleep with this item for a couple of weeks first, so that it can absorb the smells of your home and you! When the child receives the item, she/he will hopefully attach to it. This can potentially serve as a good transitional item in terms of bonding and attachment. If the child receives the plush item, it can then absorb the smells of the orphanage. When the child is transitioning into your family/home, this may be comforting to her/him as a familiar item. It may be a good idea to have a second identical item with you when you travel. This way, if the item is left in the orphanage, given to another child in need, or lost, she/he will recognize the plush and be comforted. The hopes is that this helps to promote attachment.
3. A close up photo of the immediate family. You can laminate it or enclose it in a small, soft photo album for the child to play with. The purpose is to familiarize your child with your face(s) and features.
4. ONE outfit. If there is room in your small package, you may send a onesie or a small outfit. This may or may not fit your child. If it does not, consider it a donation to the orphanage for another child in need. Some families receive their children in this outfit, while others never see it again.
*All contents of the package should be directly marked with your child's name.
Bethany does encourage families that accept referrals of SN and older children to send a care package. We request that you wait until after LOA is confirmed.
Families can send packages on their own via a trackable courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc) or use services such as "www.blessedkids.com" or www.redthreadchina.com" who provide this service for a fee. Please note: Bethany Christian Services does not have any affiliation with "Blessed Kids" or "Red Thread" nor are we recommending them, we are merely sharing public information as a resource for adoptive families.
Bookmark :
CCAA Portal Update!
LID’s through the review room: AUGUST 31, 2007
LID’s through referral: MARCH 20, 2006
CCAA's portal has announced that dossiers have now been reviewed through August, 2007! Congratulations to those families who have passed this milestone!
To China... With Love...
Many families inquire about sending a package to their child in China. This email will attempt to address this inquiry. After a family accepts the referral of their child, they may send her/him a care package. Bethany Christian Services does not encourage nor discourage this for healthy children. Most "healthy referrals" are too young to understand this package and orphanages do not have the manpower to distribute these packages as you request them to. Some orphanages do not accept packages at all. On the other hand, we do appreciate the value of potentially having photos of the child's orphanage (especially if a visit is not an option during travel) cribmates, caretakers, and the child in their familiar environment, etc. When weighing the risks of the cost to send the package, the timing, and the potential value, the decision is up to the family.
If you decide to send a package to your child, please keep in mind the following suggestions/recommendations:
1. If you send a package, there is no guarantee that your child will receive it before you arrive, or even at all. For this reason alone, please do not send valuables or any item that you cannot part with.
2. Keep it small. Do NOT include gifts for caretakers or other children. You will have the opportunity to hand carry gifts with you when you travel to China that can be distributed to the orphanage. A small package will cost anywhere between $50-100 in shipping.
3. Bethany is unable to provide you with the direct orphanage addresses. You may search for them online or through an organized website. It is best to print the address off in English & the local dialect in Chinese for shipping purposes. You will also need the Chinese characters to your child's name.
4. When shipping these small packages to China, mark the "value" as "0" so that the contents are not considered attractive to others.
5. If you choose to include a note, please keep it short and have it translated into the local dialect. Most orphanage caretakers do not speak/read English, nor will they have the resources to have it translated.
6. Do NOT include your personal identification nor contact information.
Suggested contents:
1. ONE Disposable camera. Be sure to mark your child's name (English & Chinese) and dob directly onto the camera and not the wrapping. This will hopefully make it easier for the caretakers to keep track of the camera. Do not expect that this will be developed for you. Some families receive the camera back when they receive their child, others never see the camera again.
2. A small, plush item. This can be a stuffed animal, a small blankie, or even something as simple as a washcloth. It is encouraged that you sleep with this item for a couple of weeks first, so that it can absorb the smells of your home and you! When the child receives the item, she/he will hopefully attach to it. This can potentially serve as a good transitional item in terms of bonding and attachment. If the child receives the plush item, it can then absorb the smells of the orphanage. When the child is transitioning into your family/home, this may be comforting to her/him as a familiar item. It may be a good idea to have a second identical item with you when you travel. This way, if the item is left in the orphanage, given to another child in need, or lost, she/he will recognize the plush and be comforted. The hopes is that this helps to promote attachment.
3. A close up photo of the immediate family. You can laminate it or enclose it in a small, soft photo album for the child to play with. The purpose is to familiarize your child with your face(s) and features.
4. ONE outfit. If there is room in your small package, you may send a onesie or a small outfit. This may or may not fit your child. If it does not, consider it a donation to the orphanage for another child in need. Some families receive their children in this outfit, while others never see it again.
*All contents of the package should be directly marked with your child's name.
Bethany does encourage families that accept referrals of SN and older children to send a care package. We request that you wait until after LOA is confirmed.
Families can send packages on their own via a trackable courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc) or use services such as "www.blessedkids.com" or www.redthreadchina.com" who provide this service for a fee. Please note: Bethany Christian Services does not have any affiliation with "Blessed Kids" or "Red Thread" nor are we recommending them, we are merely sharing public information as a resource for adoptive families.
