
This grant is offered by Reece’s Rainbow, for children in this specific country. Grant funds are dependent on available funding. For more information, email childinquiry@reecesrainbow.org ***
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Agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.
Woodrow loves to eat and gets quite upset if meal time is late. He doesn’t self feed, but eats pureed food by mouth. It can be a messy affair, but he is quite satisfied when he is done. Woodrow drinks some with a sippy cup or water bottle, but also likes to drink from a regular cup if he is feeling particularly thirsty.
Woodrow is not a fan of bath time and tends to move around a lot as he tries to keep his caregiver from bathing him, particularly his face and head. He is very picky about people touching his head – sometimes he likes a good head massage and other times he will duck away from anyone who tries to touch his head at all. He also does not like anyone touching his face, especially to try and wipe it off after a meal or to brush his teeth. The one exception he sometimes makes is for his caregiver to kiss his cheeks and neck, which he occasionally greets with a big smile.
In the past, Woodrow would often cry and thrash inconsolably for long periods at a time no matter what his caregivers tried. Some changes with medications have helped him drastically. He still does not sleep on a regular schedule, but if he’s awake during the night, he is generally calm, sometimes quiet and sometimes “talking” with his little noises.
Woodrow really likes his feet and will often clap them together. He also uses his feet to protect his head which he hits repeatedly for sensory input. Woodrow does not do a lot of purposeful movement with his hands, but often wrings them.
Woodrow goes to physical therapy and attends a special education class every day. He likes to be pushed around in his wheelchair and enjoys going in the swing.
Woodrow is a ticklish guy and will often reward tickles with a smile. While he is not generally a cuddler, he sometimes enjoys being held and cuddled and will lean in to relax.
Progress with Woodrow has been slow, but he is learning and responding. We continue to pray that he would know that he is safe, loved and treasured. We also pray that a brave and bold family would step forward to pursue his adoption. He is worth it.
Saber is a sweet little boy. His main diagnoses/conditions are: epilepsy – grand mal seizures. Infantile cerebral palsy – spastic quadriparesis, severe degree; ROP; cataract in the left eye – condition following surgical treatment; brain cysts; hypotrophy; mixed specific disorders of the psychological development; severely impaired general condition, with severe delay in all areas of development. He is fed via nasogastric tube. He needs constant care, active monitoring by a pediatric neurologist, an ophthalmologist and a physiotherapist.
Sweet Saber truly deserves a wonderful family! He expresses emotional conditions through mimics. He understands when an adult is in the room and he looks for him with his gaze. He smiles when someone speaks to him or when he is jested. He does not interact with other children, but individual attention by an adult brings him pleasure which he expresses through smiling.
Please help us find this smiley little boy his forever family!
After complex surgical intervention, Miriam walks independently and can go up and down stairs while holding on to a railing and sits without support. She uses primarily her right hand and is independently able to eat with utensils, drink from a cup, brush her teeth and use the restroom. She requires assistance with bathing. Miriam is well oriented in the spaces, routines and among the people of her group home. She is emotionally stable but likes to be the center of attention and may show jealousy when other children are prioritized. Although she appears to have an unspecified speech/articulation disorder, Miriam is able to communicate verbally, constantly and curiously asks questions, and can participate in dialogues.
Miriam attends an auxiliary school and says she cannot imagine her life without the opportunity for education. Her academic knowledge is on a preschool level: she can count to 20 and name all the letters of the alphabet as well as identify colors and everyday objects. She works with more focus in a one on one setting but can get overwhelmed when tasks are too demanding. She needs many repetitions to acquire new skills. Miriam’s thinking is concrete and situational and her greatest delays are cognitive.
Miriam is friendly, sociable and trusting. She interacts preferably with adults, but also establishes warm connections with peers and joins group activities. Although she is reported to be selective with her relationships, she is well attached to her social worker. She likes to listen to music, play games, and spend time with the group home’s parakeets and yard dog. Through the services of a non-profit organization, Miriam has the opportunity to go swimming and indoor rock climbing both of which she enjoys very much.
Miriam’s social worker and family therapist note that Miriam is willing to learn new things and would make continued and noticeable progress in a family that can offer her more appropriate interventions and individualized resources as well as a warm and loving home. Seven years ago, Miriam experienced a disrupted adoption procedure, but her care team believes now that she is more mature, she would understand better the meaning and benefits of adoption and would seriously consider a family interested in making her their daughter.
Miriam has waited for a forever family for over eight years. A family interested in adopting Miriam must file their I-800A with USCIS before her 16th birthday in early December.
Sweet Marlee is just 20-months old and because of her diagnoses (cerebral palsy, microcephaly, oromotor dystonia) she is unable to find an adoptive family within her country. Marlee is currently living in an institution and her caregivers report that she is making great progress. She is now sitting unsupported, clapping her hands, grabbing toys and vocalizing. With the love and commitment of an adoptive family along with the resources for support that are available in the United States, Marlee would have a chance to develop to her full potential.
Also, because of some unique legal circumstances in Marlee’s case, travel timelines in country for completing the adoption are expected to be significantly reduced.
Jean has epilepsy and right hemiparetic cerebral palsy diagnoses with global delays. Jean attends weekly PT, OT and speech therapy sessions. She has made progress with her speech and can now imitate saying “no no”, “bye bye”, “yes”, and “thank you”! Jean is enrolled in preschool and attends special education classes.
Jean has a biological brother who is being adopted separately.
Although Alma is diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy, she is otherwise a healthy little girl! She is able to stand up on her own, feed herself, and demonstrates developing gross and fine motor skills. She has been receiving occupational, physical, and speech and language therapy on a weekly basis. Recently, Alma has been able to walk further distances and stand more steadily on her feet. She can understand simple instructions and keep eye contact in order to gain attention. She is learning how to express simple needs with hand gestures and more language stimulation at home will help Alma tremendously!
Alma has been a little fighter since day one and needs a new forever home that she can thrive in.
Melanie has demonstrated clear attachment to her favorite caretakers. It’s very obvious that a consistent family would help her to thrive most. She recognizes people and is even able to say some names. She gets very excited when people come and very sad when they go. She would bring unending joy to any family!
Contact the adoption agency to learn more about Jordan and his special needs! We sure hope someone brings this cutie pie home while he’s still so little!
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Thomas can communicate verbally with words and short phrases. He also uses gestures and pointing to objects, in order to communicate his wants and needs to his foster family.
He is a sociable child who enjoys the company of other children, particularly his friends with whom he loves to play. He is so full of energy, enjoying running, climbing, and riding his bike (which is fitted with stabilizers). He particularly likes to kick a ball around in the garden with his friend and play with balloons. On outings to the park and the zoo, he takes great interest in everything he sees but loves most of all anything with wheels.
His motor skills have improved recently and he is able to do more complex activities without being told how. For example, when his jacket sleeves are inside out he turns them the right way round before dressing himself. He takes great interest in many different kinds of toys. He loves the rides in the school bus every day. He is in a small class group. He is independent with self-help skills such as dressing, undressing, toileting, eating and drinking.
Cory was born premature. He has cerebral palsy, paresis of the limbs, with a predominance of the lower limbs. He moves in a wheelchair, has a vision defect, convergent strabismus, amblyopia, cryptorchidism. Cory moves on his fours or in a wheelchair. The boy tries to be independent – he feeds himself, uses the toilet, gets dressed. He has therapies every day and can walk with adult’s help. The caregiver shared with the agency representative that there is a huge potential that he can walk independently.
Sally was probably born prematurely as well. Not much data about her history as well. She has never been hospitalized. The girl is under the supervision of a cardiologist due to a heart murmur. She is also under the care of an allergist – rhinitis. She has a strong character and could be a leader. She is a very protective of her brother and they have a very strong bond.
They are sweet and cheerful children who curious about the world around them.
There is a $500 agency fee reduction for Jack’s adoption with a specific adoption agency; additional agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.
The child has adapted to the new environment. At first, she didn’t want to eat. She is eating well now. She likes to be paid attention to, held in her arms and rocked, she likes to be massaged. She seeks attention and tries to attract attention to herself by making sounds. She smiles, even laughs out loud at the teasing of adults. She reacts when they talk to her and when she hears her name.
She started eating better. She eats pureed common food with both a pacifier and a spoon. They feed her. She prefers to eat sweet things. Hanelle loves mashed fruits and vegetables. They give her adapted and vitamin-enriched milk with biscuits. Drinks water from a pacifier; can’t drink from a glass.
VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-bailey001
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-bailey002
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Janice enjoys outdoor activities, especially riding her tricycle, sliding down the slide in the neighborhood park and bouncing around a basketball. When she isn’t participating in a physical activity, Janice likes reading books and singing nursery rhymes with “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and “The Butterflies are so Beautiful” being her favorites!
Janice is shy around strangers, but interacts with them once she becomes familiar. Janice acts affectionately towards people she is familiar with and asks for cuddles. Janice has a close bond with her foster family and likes to seek their affection.
Janice has a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis with moderate cognitive and motor skills delays. She currently attends physical, occupational and speech therapies. Janice has made good progress, and she is now able to climb stairs, jump on the ground 10 times in a row, and complete a 4 piece puzzle! At home, Janice will imitate her foster mother’s speech and ask questions.
Could you imagine pushing Janice on the swings at your neighborhood park or teaching her how to ride a bicycle? If you think you could be the right family for her, don’t hesitate to reach out
The child’s lower and upper limbs are highly spastic and are with diffuse muscle hypotonia. His fine motor skills are not developed. He does not grasp a toy given to him. Atanas holds his hands bent in fists. He is seriously delayed in his psychomotor development. The boy reacts to tactile stimulation by adults. When teased, he does not smile. He is unable to interact with the other children. Atanas depends completely on the care provided by adults. He is fed by a bottle. From time to time he cries when given a shower. He sleeps well.
Meet Jolie! Jolie enjoys walks with her caregiver. Her favorite part of their walk is when her caregiver speeds up pushing her stroller, and Jolie giggles with joy! Jolie loves being embraced by her caregivers and communicates with them through giggles and cooing.
Jolie has a diagnosis of epilepsy, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, low vision, and overall global delays. Jolie continues to make progress in physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, which she attends once a week. Jolie recently accomplished being able to turn her body over from her back to her side!
Jolie needs a loving, patient, and caring family who will be able to provide lifelong care and help her develop to her full potential.
Contact the adoption agency to learn more about Sanders! They’d love to share photos and more information privately with an interested family! We hope his family sees him soon to give him lots of affection and love!
With a familiar adult, Ethan has a good emotional tone – he enjoys a hide and seek game and sometimes gives his hand for “hello”.
He cannot walk yet, but he sits, crawls and staying straight caught for fixed support, showing progress in his motor skill development. The child has flat feet with valgus deviation of both feet – it was recommended to wear orthopedic shoes. Ethan stands up on his own until he is caught on a fixed support, stands on tiptoe, does not step aside, placed in a walker, moves short distances; pronounces long sound combinations.
We last saw Alanna a year earlier in 2018, and she seemed to be much more mobile this year. She was active – bouncing and climbing on soft benches. Alanna has cerebral palsy and is weaker on her left side. Alanna is now eating solid foods – she had been using a feeding tube until January 2019. Her social worker told us she can eat a bowl of food in about 15 minutes now! She attends physical and occupational therapy once a week each. Alanna only says a few words, but her social workers state she understands most of what is said to her and she can follow one step directions. Could Alanna be your daughter?
Myles diet consists of mashed foods, his favorite being fruits. Myles spends most of his time in his bed or in a support chair. Because he is only allotted one therapeutic device per year, he doesn’t currently have a child walker. With more opportunities to put weight on his legs, he may possibly have the potential for assisted walking in the future.
Myles was born prematurely and has been diagnosed with global developmental delays, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, hydrocephalus and hearing impairment. Myles resides in a nursing home and receives 30 minutes of occupational and physical therapy at a local hospital each week. The agency has much more information on Myles! Could your family be the one he needs?
Mitchell walks independently with an ataxic gait. He talk using simple words and simple sentences. He plays with toys. He shows interest in his environment and everything happening around him. He seeks contact with familiar adults.
Photos and videos are available through the agency.
Tyson was born premature and had several complications after birth. He can sit on his own with good balanced reactions. He crawls following the correct motor model. He stands up and walks sideways vertically. He can walk when one of his hands is held and has more control when it’s his right hand being held. He can stand up straight without falling for 2-3 seconds. When walking with a walker, he begins to bend his knees. He purposefully grabs a toy that is handed to him and can switch it from hand to hand. He shows an interest in musical toys and enjoys them. He has started making sounds and simply syllables such as “ma-ma”. He enjoys having someone sing to him and likes to receive hugs. He eats from a spoon. His overall development is delayed.
Photos and videos from August 2020 are available through the agency.
Update 2018: Jesse attention span is short-lived and unstable in relation to objects and people. There is some sharing with a close adult. Jesse responds when called by name. His memory and speech are poorly developed. When happy, he laughs loud and when anxious, he cries. Sometimes he pronounces unspecified sounds and separate syllables. He is sensitive and emotional and tends to be nervous around strangers. When given a toy he reaches out and takes it. He is working on the pinch grip. He hasn’t mastered fully the ability to move a toy from one hand to the other. Jesse is fed with a spoon and sleeps calmly through the night. He cannot control his physiological needs. Jesse is entirely cared for by the team in his orphanage.
(Jesse was also previously listed as Andy)
She shows interest toward shining materials, cords, ties. Although her speech isn’t developed, Vivianna pronounces vowels and separate syllables with the consonants “g”, “m”, “n”, etc. She demonstrates basic understanding about simple instructions and presents as cooperative.
Vivianna likes to crawl and exercise on a mattress, and she also likes to play in the pool with balls. Vivianna feels comfortable around other children and adults. Vivianna is fed by an adult. She drinks from a cup. She is on diapers. Her sleep is calm.
She is nonverbal. Prudence does not understand other people’s speech and she tends to self-isolate. Prudence likes to cuddle with an adult and likes it when someone is talking gently to her. She loves listening to music and even starts smiling and dancing in her own way.
Prudence hasn’t developed any self-service skills and fully depends on the caregivers in the facility. She cannot control her physiological needs (she wears dippers). Her sleep is calm.
Kessler can turn from his back to his belly and vice versa. He crawls using his hands and can sit when held by his hands. He can sit with support for a longer period of time. He can reach out and grab a toy. When purposefully looking, he can coordinate the movement of his arms – he can thread rings on a stable axis with help from an adult. His notions and perceptions are not full. He is not oriented in a social environment. His concentration and attention are weak. Sometimes he looks at objects and can follow them. His involuntary attention is better than his active attention as it is hard to attract and to hold. His memory is with reduced volume and short-termed.
Most of the times, Kessler is happy. He seeks approval, attention and love from adults, attention and love. His reactions to positive emotional stimuli are adequate. He is apt to change his mood depending on the circumstances. He is attached to the staff. Kessler makes undetermined and happy sounds that are the result of other people talking to him. He is communicative and curious. When he is awake, he spends his time among the other children and interacts with them. He perceives their sounds, touch and reacts by moving his hands, turning his head, making sounds and laughing. He understands poor behavior and will stop unwanted actions.
Kessler can manipulate objects. He plays with rubber toys, rattles and likes to move a ball in a labyrinth. He holds the toy for a short period of time and bites it. He can look at a toy for longer period if the toy lights up. His sleep is calm. He is dependent on the staff for his basic needs. He is fed by the staff.
There is little reaction with toys and no playing when in his possession. Isaac is completely dependent on the help of the staff.
Condition after a brain hemorrhage. Cyst in the left cerebral hemisphere. Microcephaly. Spastic quadriparesis. Cryptorchidism. Anemic syndrome. Behind in his neuro-psychical development. When put on his belly or held, he keeps his head up. He slightly turns to one side but doesn’t turn independently from back to stomach and vice versa. He doesn’t try to sit up and doesn’t get up to a standing position. He doesn’t have good support in his legs. He starts after loud sound but doesn’t turn his head to the direction of the sound. He listens to the speech of adults. He doesn’t look at an adult leaning over him. He doesn’t follow with a look moving objects or people. He reacts to touch. He is calm and doesn’t cry without reason. He reacts positively to interactions and laughs loud. Photos and videos from June 2015 are available through the agency.
From a teacher who works with her: This little blind girl is progressing so well, but she is so scared. Can you imagine to be in a world where at any given moment you could get pinched, pushed over, knocked down, hair pulled, eyes poked. I don’t blame her, especially when there are so many other special needs children around her and so few staff and no family love and care. But inspite of all of this she is a fighter and a giggler.
Aria is emotionally stable and has adequate emotional responses in different situations. She enjoys being the center of attention. Aria names animals, fruits and vegetables, counts up to 10, says the alphabet with some help from an adult, and names the children and the staff members by name. She participates in group activities with other children. She is sensitive to the other person’s emotional state and observes his/her reactions. Aria enjoys looking at children’s books and recognizes the familiar objects and animals on the pictures.
Area eats common food independently with a small spoon or fork.The child drinks from a cup. Due to her physical disability, she cannot bath herself independently. She goes to the toilet on her own. The child washes her hands and brushes her teeth on her own.
September 2017 Update: Oskar’s mental capability is like any other 7-year-old boy his age. He has CP (Cerebral Palsy). It does not affect him mentally, but it effects his walking and speaking. He also gets easier tired than other kids his age. At the end of the day he usually is so ready for bed. He is potty trained. Oskar is a very fun and active boy. He is so boy and his CP does not hold him back to want to do everything all the other boys do in his age. He is very extroverted and loves going outside. He loves sport, as in swimming, playing ball, taking walks (usually on his car). He is very competitive – which usually shows itself when we play board games. He is a very social boy and loves to hang out with his foster siblings and friends. His love language is touch. Hugging and kissing him as well as encouraging him with words of affirmation get the best out of him. Although he is usually very brave, he is afraid of the dark and won’t go anywhere if there is no light. When he came to his foster home, as a three-year-old, he had to learn what rules are and how to keep them. He has improved so much in the last four years. He sometimes still is a bit stubborn and tries to get his way through crying, but it is now much more according to his appropriate age. His foster family has found out, that if they explain to him ahead of time what will happen, why he will need to share something, why he will not be able to go along with them, why he should not do something or change his behavior, he then will obey very well.
When Oskar came to his foster home, he was only able to crawl. He now can walk by himself through the whole house. He can get up by himself and walk for a short distance. When holding onto a ladder, he can walk up some stairs. But as soon as goes out, he usually uses an electric wheelchair or a stroller to get somewhere. When they get to the place, he usually wants to get out of the wheelchair and walk around with their help. He is daily improving in his walking and his foster mom believes, that with some therapy and some support as in leg braces, he should be able to walk stable one day. But so far, he still needs support from us. His foster family is working on his fine motor skills. He still mostly scribbles. Not because he does not know his ABC, but because his fine motor skills with his hands are a bit hard for him. Last week though he wrote his name all by himself on a piece of paper, and it was readable. When his foster mom asks him to color a picture, he usually always draws out of the box. It makes him mad because he knows it should not look like that. Basically, he can pick up anything with his fingers, hold a pen, open stuff, just not draw very well. In the morning, he goes to Chinese kindergarten. In the afternoon, he is home-schooled in English, Math, and sign language (ASL). In Math, he is learning numbers from 1-20. We just started learning some addition. Books we use for him in Math as well as English are Kindergarten level (Pre K). He knows about 500 words in sign language by now, which has helped so much in communicated with him. He understands English as well as Chinese. He is very much attached to his foster mom and loves his foster siblings a lot. His social skills are good. When friends come over to play, he will find something to play with them. He especially likes hanging out with other boys his age. Even though he cannot speak, he will find a way to make them understand him. He had no problem with interacting with adults. Oskar has been living since the age of 3 in the same foster home. His foster mom is from Germany (but only speaks English to him). Before that he lived in the orphanage. He can only say a few words: mama, more, move; everything else he communicates in sign language. He can follow directions in three steps. He understands everything you say and can do it. He shares a room with his younger foster brother.
His foster mom only speaks English to him so his English is quite good. In his 4 years that he has been in his foster home, he has seen about 6 of his foster siblings being adopted. His foster mom openly talks about adoption and prepares the kids well for the possibility of being adopted. Oskar has been praying for his own mom and dad for a long time now. He understands what it means (as far as a kid can understand) and is waiting for his own mom and dad to show up. He also prays to have some siblings of his own, that will play with him. He has now even started to pray for grandparents of his own. His favorite color is green. If he plays a game it has to be green, if he gets clothes or a toy they have to be green, if he likes something it has to be green. Board games are his most favorite activity. But he also loves to play with toys, play Lego, play with superheroes, or go on outings. He also loves it to be read books to, or look at pictures books by himself. It is hard to say what his favorite toy is, since he does not have one in specific. He loves to play with cars, super heroes, look at books … any toy other boys his age would like to play with.