CHLSS

  • Donate
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • Adoption
    • DI Uber 2.1Infant Adoption
    • A father and son created through foster care adoption embrace.Foster Care Adoption
    • Young girl from China smiles at the camera.International Adoption
    • Close
  • Foster Care
    • Three siblings in foster care smile in the part with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders.Foster Care
    • An African American single woman wraps her arms around two brothers she adopted from foster care.Foster Care Adoption
    • Close
  • Pregnancy Services
    • Birth parents and adoptive parents smile with son.Open Adoption
    • parenting2Parenting
    • A father holds a football for his infant child.Birth Fathers
    • Happy woman and man waiting to adopt a child.Waiting Family Profiles
    • Close
  • Post Adoption
    • Domestic Post Adoption ServicesDomestic Post Adoption
    • International Post Adoption ServicesInternational Post Adoption
    • Post Adoption ResourcesPost Adoption Resources
    • A teen boy who was adopted from Korea as an infant smiles against a stone wall.Post Placement Reports
    • Close
  • Education & Events
    • An Ethiopian adoptee and her sister smile and hug.Education & Events Calendar
    • A woman attends a webinar.Recorded Webinars
    • Close
  • About Us
    • Mission & History
    • Leadership
    • Employment
    • Volunteer
    • Close
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
  • Login
Home / Blog / International Adoption / Will you help us find host families?

Will you help us find host families?

October 18, 2019 by Guest Contributor

Monica and Miguel smile with their daughter who wears traditional Colombian clothes. All three were adopted from Colombia.As autumn makes its quiet entrance with vivid colors and our thoughts turn to a season of change and gratitude, many of us in the adoption community also think about November as National Adoption Awareness Month. Thousands of children here and abroad are in desperate need of love in its many forms, something a family can provide. This is especially true for “older” children who have been deemed difficult to place for adoption. These children over the age of 5 often need additional advocacy and attention in order to find permanent, loving homes. When faced with thousands of waiting children, some may believe that individual small actions cannot make a difference, but as adoptees and adoptive parents we know that is far from the truth.

We are both adopted from Colombia. Miguel was adopted at 14 years old and Monica at 8 months old. We met as adults volunteering in our adoption community and got married in 2010. Our family grew through adoption when we adopted our daughter, Camila at age 7, just two years ago, also from Colombia.  Through Miguel’s life experience being adopted as a teenager and our journey in educating ourselves about the needs of Colombian children, we have gained a deep understanding of what a profound impact finding safe and nurturing families has on older children eligible for adoption.

For these reasons, we have partnered with Kidsave and Children’s Home to bring the Kidsave Summer Miracles program to Minnesota in the summer of 2020. With 20 years of experience, Kidsave developed the Summer Miracles child-hosting program in partnership with the Colombian child welfare system (ICBF) with the goal of finding homes for children. Kidsave partners with Children’s Home to prepare host families, as well as help them adopt if they choose to adopt after their hosting experience.

Summer Miracles provides waiting children (usually ranging in ages between 10 and 14) and host families the opportunity to spend 4-5 weeks together to get to know each other. This offers the children the experience of life in a caring, American family, as well as opportunities to join in fun events where they may meet other families interested in adoption. For the host family, the experience allows them to gain a greater understanding of the child’s needs. It also offers the unique opportunity to see if adoption is the right fit for them while at the same time advocating for the child.

You Can Help

We are looking for families who may want to serve as host families. Also, Summer Miracles cannot be successful without a group of committed volunteers to make it happen. We are looking for volunteers to serve on the host committee to help us with host family recruitment, volunteer management/coordination, event planning, public relations, fundraising and much more.

Whether you are interested in hosting, hosting then adopting, or participating in the Summer Miracles MN 2020 Host Committee, please connect with us via the contact links on KidSaveMN. When submitting the form, indicate how you would like to help.

Please also help us spread this message far and wide.  Perhaps someone in your life circle would like to get involved.

Finally, we would like to invite you to an information session that will take place at Children’s Home (1605 Eustis Street, St. Paul, MN 55108) on Saturday, November 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Please R.S.V.P. to [email protected].

As we embark on this challenge, we are reminded of the measure of our souls in the words of Nelson Mandela when he wrote: “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

About the Authors: Miguel Lindgren and Mónica Dooner Lindgren are the Minnesota Kidsave Community Coordinators for 2020. They are Colombian adoptees, adoptive parents, and passionate advocates for adoption and children’s issues around the world.

FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrintFriendly

Filed Under: Events, International Adoption, News

Meet Waiting Children

View Children

Help a Child Thrive

Contribute Today

Main Office

1605 Eustis Street
Saint Paul, MN 55108
651.646.7771
800.952.9302
[email protected]

Maryland Office

15800 Crabbs Branch Way Suite 300
Rockville, MD 20855
301.562.6500
[email protected]

Virginia Office

4101 Chain Bridge Road Suite 301
Fairfax, VA 22030
703.214.5533
[email protected]

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Charities Review Council
Standards_Seal_BLACK_WEB
Charities Review Council Seal 2022
coa-logo
NCFA Member Seal_
IAAME
Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Approval
Human Rights Campaign seal

© 2022 Children's Home Society and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. All Rights Reserved.

Terms & Conditions Privacy policy Developed by Vivid Image Staff Login