Home Country

     When we tell people we're hosting a child from an Eastern European country the first reponse is usually, "Oh, that's wonderful!" followed by a quick glance at a smartphone to pull up a world map.  Where the heck is that? What do they speak? Do they drink only goat milk? Don't laugh, these are true responses! 

     Due to privacy issues, the country where our host child lives cannot be specified, however I can give some information as to the general area. It is a country of approximately 2.2 million people.  To put that in perspective, that's the about the same amount of people in the city of Paris, France or Havana, Cuba.  It's the same number of people who visit the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Texas each year! Of that 2.2 million people, approximately 1/3 live in the capital city.  For most of the 20th century, it was under the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union.  It declared independence from Russia/USSR in the early 1990s.  Since then it has had a hard time economically and was particularly affected by the recent world-wide economic recession with unemployment reaching 20% at one point and holding steady around 14%.  It is a member of the EU and one of the EU's poorest nations. These grim statistics do not, however, affect the country's spirit or fierce loyalty to their cultural background.  It is a particularly beautiful country both topographically and architecturally. 

     The orphanage system there is based on a foster care system and the more prevalent group home/boarding school system.  Siblings are often separated due to age. The children age out of the orphanage system at age 16.  They are typically shown the door with little support either through family or government.  As you can imagine, this leads to sad statistics as to what is waiting for them in their future.  Prison, prostitution, sexual exploitation, drug abuse, suicide, domestic violence, etc. are all too common life events for these children both in their past and future.  There are too few resources for too many children. Many, if not most, of the children referred to as "orphans" are not true orphans. They may have living parents who are unable to care for them even to levels acceptable to the state government.

     The country does not allow adoption by foreigners of children under the age of 9 unless part of a sibling group. Sibling groups are not separated for adoption unless due to the aging out of an older sibling.  For example, if a child is 11 years old with a 6 year old sibling, both children may be adopted by a foreign family.  Once a child turns 16, they are no longer eligible for adoption.  As I understand it, there are options to bring an "aged-out" child to the US, but it must be under a student visa for educational purposes.

     That's a bit of background of the country. What those statistics don't tell enough about is the people.  No country wants to see it's children and young adults emigrate due to economics. Not all young adults or children want to emigrate. It is their home. The orphanage caretakers are not all Miss Hannigans from Annie.  Are they overworked?  Yes.  Are they underpaid?  Yes.  Do they do the best they can do with the resources given? Yes. Can they show the children how a family works and supports each other?  No. That's why the hosting program is so important.  It allows the children to experience a family environment possibly for the first time in their lives, albeit for a handful of weeks.  That's an experience they can take with them in their hearts even if they return to the orphanage without having met their "forever family".