Nihao Sunny Ridge-China Families,

We hope you continue to enjoy these monthly updates.  We strive to have them out to you the first week of every month and will continue to aim for that goal. However, in lieu of sending out an email every time that CCAA updates their website, we will continue to update our tracking website here as soon as we see any changes made on the CCAA website.

Families Traveling
We are pleased to report that several families are leaving for China on July 2nd for the placement of their children. This time is filled with excitement and trepidation as they anticipate traveling and meeting their children for the first time. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare for this life changing experience!

Special Needs Program
Many of our waiting families continue to inquire about the status of our Special Needs program in China.  The staff here at Sunny Ridge understands the importance of providing loving homes for children with medical needs. We remain hopeful that we will be granted permission to work in this program again in the future as we continue to reiterate our desire to have a Special Needs program to CCAA. We will keep you all notified as we hear more information from CCAA.

CCAA’s Website Information
As of today, the website states CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered before January 30, 2007 and has issued referrals of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered before January 20, 2006. Congratulations to our families logged in on January 30, 2007 – you made it through the review room! That is one big step and I know you are all breathing a little easier knowing you have made it through. We continue to check CCAA’s website on a daily basis and will update the tracking section of our website as we see changes made.

Earthquake Relief
We are pleased to report that as of today, Sunny Ridge Family Center was able to collect $7,291 for Earthquake Relief in China. On July 4th, Bernie Laszewski will present this money to CCAA officials in China. The money is earmarked to help the welfare institutes that have been most severely damaged by the earthquake. Thank you to all that contributed.

Adoption Preparation Seminar
Are you interested in learning more about adoptive parenting issues? Perhaps you attended this seminar in the past but would like a refresher course?  Whatever your situation may be, you are welcome to attend our next Adoption Preparation Seminar on Saturday, October 18th here in our Bolingbrook office. We are also pleased to announce Dr. Dan Griffith, PhD, Developmental Psychologist, will be back to speak. This will be our final offering of the seminar this year so mark your calendar now and look for more information in a future update!

Hague Accreditation
Sunny Ridge Family Center was pleased to receive our Hague Accreditation in February 2008. Recently, we were granted a five-year accreditation, the longest possible accreditation assigned to an agency.  We appreciate this honor and look forward to continuing our adoption services for the years to come.

Sincerely,
Jessica Augsburger, MSW/LCSW,
Intercountry Adoption Social Worker

You can see all China adoption group tracking activity here.