Thursday, February 28, 2013

Boswell Family Give1Save1 Giveaway!

Have you met the Boswells, our featured family? If you haven't, you need to watch their video!  Bridgette Boswell is hosting a giveaway at her blog for everyone who donates $1 on Give1Save1!  Go to her blog and check out the cute stuff you could win!

Keep those dollars rolling in so we can help bring sweet baby Edna home!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Boswell Family Update

Thanks so much for donating! Keep up the good work! For the total you'll have to watch the video below! Total cuteness!

Snips, Snails, & Puppy Dog Tails OR Suger, Spice, & Everything Nice?




With traditional pregnancy, parents don't get to choose the gender of their children. However, with adoption many times parents can choose to adopt either a boy or a girl.

The old poem says:

Girls are made of Sugar and Spice
and Everything Nice

Boys are Made of Snips and Snails 
and Puppy Dog Tails.

Interestingly enough, most people must prefer Sugar and Spice. Adoption agencies, both domestic and international, report that if given a choice, 75-80% of adoptive parents prefer to adopt girls. More girls are adopted internationally every year than boys.  Between 1999-2011, over 60% of children adopted internationally into the United States were girls.

Why the preference for girls? No one is sure exactly why. Perhaps the there is a preference for girls because:
  • Many times adoption is driven by the mother, not the father. A hopeful mommy-to-be may be dreaming of a daughter.
  • Some people may view girls as vulnerable and needed protection. (My view: All orphans are vulnerable and in need of protection. All children should be raised in a loving family!)
  • Girls may be viewed as easier to raise than boys.  (Although, the opposite may be true in many cases. I have heard many parents of both boys and girls say that their boys were actually easier to raise. I have also heard that boys are harder during the early childhood years, but girls are harder during the teen years. What do you think?)
  • Boys traditionally carry on the family last name.  Families may prefer to adopt a girl because they are uncomfortable with an adopted child carrying on the family last name.

Sadly, this preference may lead to many orphans waiting longer for a family or never receiving a family at all. There are more boy orphans waiting to be adopted than girl orphans in every country except China. Even in China, there are many boys waiting to be adopted. Love Without Boundaries created this great video spotlighting the need for boys to be adopted and how great a son can be!


If you have adopted, are adopting, or are considering adoption, would you/did you request a boy or a girl, or no preference? I would love to hear you feed back! Please comment on your preference (or lack of preference) and why.


Monday, February 25, 2013

Welcome Our First Family, The Boswells!

Give1Save1 Europe is excited to announce our first featured family, the Boswell family! The Boswells are adopting sweet, 8 month old Edna from Eastern EuropeYou can read more about their story at Bridgette's blog.


Take a look at Bridgette's and Trey's video....

  

Are you ready to donate?  Click the link below. This sweet family is ready to bring their little girl home!  Can you help? I knew you could!! They will be traveling to the Europe very soon.  Let's welcome the Boswells to Give1Save1 Europe today by giving and sharing this page! You are making a difference in their adoption journey and in the life of their little girl!!


 Click here to check out the world map that will take you to the other Give1Save1 pages: US, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.

UPDATE: You gave $1,400 to help bring Edna home! Thank you!

 

Thursday, February 21, 2013

STUCK in Red Tape

Did you know that international adoptions are on the decline? It is not because there are a lack of children that need families. Nor is it for a lack of families who want to adopt them. Stuck is a new documentary that tells the stories of three families who try to adopt children stuck in orphanages due to red tape. It is on my must watch list! Please watch the trailer below, and go to bothendsburning.org for more information on how you can help and to sign their petition!



Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Top European Countries to Adopt From

Russia, the largest sending country in European adoptions, is closing it's doors to international adoption.  What other countries have international adoption programs in Europe? Here are my top pics of countries in Europe to adopt from. I judged countries based on number of adoptions in recent years, stability of adoption program, requirements, etc.

1. Ukraine 



Number of Adoptions & Stability
In 2011, 640 Ukrainian children were adopted by American parents. Ukraine is not a Hague country and allows independent adoptions. Ukraine is considered stable because of the consistent high number of adoptions processed each year.

Children Available
Ukraine's adoption program includes children with special needs between the ages of 1 to 16, healthy children ages 5 years and older, and sibling groups.

2. Bulgaria


Number of Adoptions & Stability
In 2011, 75 Bulgarian children were adopted by American parents. While Bulgaria ratified the Hague Treaty on International Adoption and overhauled its adoption process, international adoptions slowed down significantly. Now that the Hague is in place, the program is considered stable and the number of adoptions from Bulgaria to the US have been increasing every year.

Children Available
Bulgaria's adoption program includes children ages 2 to 17, children with a variety of special needs, healthy children, and sibling groups. 

3. Latvia


Number of Adoptions & Stability
In 2011, 56 Latvian children were adopted by American parents. Latvia is a Hague country with a stable program history. Latvia has recently simplified its adoption process and the program is growing. 

Children Available
Latvia's adoption program includes healthy children age 9 and older, children of all ages with special needs, sibling groups that include children of all ages.

4. Poland 

Vistula River and Wawel Castle in Krakow Poland

Number of Adoptions & Stability
In 2011, 52 Polish children were adopted by American parents. Poland is a Hague country with a stable adoption program history.

Children Available
Poland's adoption program includes children from age 1 to 16, with the majority of children between the ages of 3 and 13.  Children available for adoption will have special needs, or will be older, or will be apart of a sibling group.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Pre-Adoption Family Photo Ideas

Hi! Did you have a good Valentine's Day? I did! I couldn't help dreaming ahead a little about how fun Valentine's will be when our children come home! Just felt like some little someones where missing.

I want to have some family pictures taken this Spring or Summer. I have been thinking of some ideas for family pictures pre-adoption. and found some I love, love, love. Thought I would share with you!

Idea 1: Chalk Boards, Messages, Signs, Etc.

Adoption photo shoot.


 http://media-cache-ec7.pinterest.com/originals/76/00/fd/7600fdb33a5af149c1ec17fdd8a8dc36.jpg

Waiting.

Idea 2: Empty Shoes, Empty Chair, Etc.
The empty shoes, empty chair, empty anything give the idea that someone is missing. Some one who should be apart of our family isn't here yet!

 9.11RyanArrowsmith-10 

 

Idea 3: Globe & Suitcase Props

Too cute for international adoption!

Love this "waiting" picture!  #Adoption 

 

Idea 5: Paper Pregnant, "Sonograms", Etc.

 adoption baby bump!  with dossier.


.: Pre-Adoption Photos:)


Idea 6: Incorporating Referral Pictures







 

Monday, February 11, 2013

Welcome!

Hi! My name is Katie. I want to welcome you to the Give1Save1 Europe page! We here at Give1Save1 are so excited you found us! If you are new to Give1Save1, let me tell you a little about who we are and what we do!

Who We are and What We Do

Give1Save1 is a blog with heart! All of our bloggers are volunteers who want to help adopting families bring their children home. It all began with an adoptive momma-to-be, Beth, who knew personally how expensive adoption can be. She had the brainy idea to start a blog asking people to give $1 (or more) to a family who was adopting. With everyone giving a little, it adds up to a lot! Beth wanted to feature a family a week, and help that family quickly raise money to bring their child home. Give1Save1 originally featured families adopting from Africa. Beth's idea worked so well, that new pages were created to feature families adopting from Asia, the Caribbean  and domestically. Now, we have a page to feature families adopting from Europe too!

How  You Can Help

Want to help? It is easy! First, please share Give1Save1 with everyone you know! Know someone adopting who needs a little jump start on their finances to bring their child home? Tell them we are looking for families to feature. Know anyone with a dollar to share? Let them know that their $1 can make a difference in the life an orphaned child! Facebook and Twitter are a great way to share.

Second, you can bookmark our blog page, become a follower, or like us on Facebook. We will keep you updated on what's going on here at Give1, Save1 Europe! You can also check out our domestic, Caribbean, African, and Asian pages at give1save1.com!

Last, but not least, scrape up that little bit of change in the floor of your car and check under your couch cushions. Now, get ready for the warm, fuzzy feelings that will come from knowing your $1 will help bring a child into his or her family! If you haven't already, you will want to set up an account with PayPal. Paypal is a secure way to donate money through a credit card or bank account. It is quick and easy, too!

How to Become a Featured Family

Are you adopting from a country in Europe? We are looking for families to feature who need financial help with the European adoption. You may have a referral or still be waiting for a referral. If you would like an application, please email us at give1save1europe (at) gmail (dot)com.

If your family is chosen, Give1Save1 will feature you for one week. You will need to create a short video to introduce yourselves and share the exciting details of your upcoming adoption. Get creative and have fun with this! We will post your video on Monday, and you can share the blog post with all your friends too. Pin it, post it on your blog, tweet it, email it, and share it on Facebook. Let everyone know that they can make a difference by giving $1!  If you don't already have a PayPal account, you will need to set up one to receive all those $1 donations!