SIM Christmas Gift Catalogues |
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Christmas is quickly approaching, a season when we work hard to find just the right gifts for our family and friends. That's why we are delighted to share with you our SIM gift catalogues that have become a favorite of our partners. Each contains more gifts than we have ever offered before, allowing you to give with lasting significance. Check out our gift catalogues from our offices in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia! Adoptive Families Click on the link to see their gift list. Some fun stuff. Included are: Jewelry, some really cute stuff clothing dolls trinkets books!!!!! and even a program for making a life book that looks super great! Spoon Foundation also has some gifts available Samaritans Purse
GIFT CATALOG
 Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog
The
Samaritan's Purse Christmas gift catalog is a small window to the needs
of people who face difficult and often life-threatening challenges. By
giving a goat, medicine, or a hot meal, you are not only saving lives,
but also showing the love of Jesus Christ to those who are hurting.
 Build-A-Box
Didn't
get your shoe box to a collection center in time for National
Collection Week? You can still send a gift to a child overseas by using
Build-A-Box online. Customize your box by choosing gifts and adding a
photo and personal greeting, or have us pack and send a box for you.
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Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Give a Gift with meaning and purpose this Christmas
World AIDS Day
WORLD AIDS DAY 2011
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- INVITE YOUR PEOPLE. Gather your circle of friends to watch the One Campaign's Lazarus Effect and discuss how access to healthcare can affect someone living with HIV/AIDS.
- DITCH YOUR RIDE. On Thursday, December 1, WORLD AIDS DAY, find another way to get to work, to school, to your appointments. When your boss, teacher, or doctor asks why you're late, take the opportunity to remind them about World AIDS Day and universal access to ARVs.
- SHARE YOUR STORY. Tweet it (#ditchyourride), Facebook it, or Shoot it and Upload it. (To help us find it, name your masterpieces "Ditched My Ride for World AIDS Day"). With your own spin, share with us (and the rest of your circle) how you did your part to remind your community that AIDS is still an issue and universal access to healthcare by 2015 is still possible.
SIM has ministered in the context of AIDS for over a decade through the flagship initiative called HOPE for AIDS. HOPE for AIDS is a family of more than 40 projects spanning 12 countries. Our vision is to build capacity in local communities to empower them to deal with AIDS in the most effective way in each culture. The majority of the work is done through the remarkable time and commitment of the nearly 2,000 local volunteers—a number which bears witness to the profound desire of ordinary people to be the hands and feet and voice of Christ to suffering neighbors.
So check out HOPE for AIDS online and our blog, find us on Facebook and Twitter (@hope4aids), and prepare to DITCH YOUR RIDE for one day!
http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/298665/f6cf0d02ff/1279000797/3ad6ead5f6/
Thursday, November 17, 2011
USCIS annual update on International Adoption
The USCIS has released it's annual report on inter-country adoption. Read it here.
USCIS update: Not clearly approvable defined
"Not Clearly Approvable" Defined
Consular officers at U.S. Embassies and Consulates have limited, delegated authority from the United States Citizen and Immigration Service to approve Form I-600 petitions that are found to be clearly approvable. Clearly approvable means that the petition and supporting documentation clearly establish that the child is an orphan as defined by U.S. immigration law; all criteria identified on the Form I-600A approval regarding the child and any state pre-adoption requirements are met; and there are no concerns of fraud, child buying or other inappropriate practices in the adoption process.
In cases where the evidence is insufficient to establish that the child is an orphan or that the I-600A criteria have been met, the consular officer will allow the petitioner to respond to issues and questions that can be quickly and easily resolved. If issues and questions can be quickly and easily resolved and the case is clearly approvable the consular officer will approve the petition.
All non-Hague cases require an I-604 investigation to determine orphan status. In many instances this is a simple review of the documents and facts in the case. However, in some cases, an investigation by consular staff may be necessary to clarify doubts related to documentation presented or concerns of inappropriate practices. Investigations may include, but are not limited to, visits to the child's town of origin; interviews with birth relatives, orphanage staff, or social workers; DNA testing; and/or a field investigation.
If additional clarification and evidence does not fully resolve the issue quickly, the consular officer must send the petition to USCIS for review and adjudication. USCIS is the only agency with the authority to adjudicate NCA cases. If a case is identified as "Not Clearly Approvable", the consular officer sends the petitioner notification of the transfer to USCIS and provides contact information so that further inquiries may be directed to USCIS.
See it here.
Consular officers at U.S. Embassies and Consulates have limited, delegated authority from the United States Citizen and Immigration Service to approve Form I-600 petitions that are found to be clearly approvable. Clearly approvable means that the petition and supporting documentation clearly establish that the child is an orphan as defined by U.S. immigration law; all criteria identified on the Form I-600A approval regarding the child and any state pre-adoption requirements are met; and there are no concerns of fraud, child buying or other inappropriate practices in the adoption process.
In cases where the evidence is insufficient to establish that the child is an orphan or that the I-600A criteria have been met, the consular officer will allow the petitioner to respond to issues and questions that can be quickly and easily resolved. If issues and questions can be quickly and easily resolved and the case is clearly approvable the consular officer will approve the petition.
All non-Hague cases require an I-604 investigation to determine orphan status. In many instances this is a simple review of the documents and facts in the case. However, in some cases, an investigation by consular staff may be necessary to clarify doubts related to documentation presented or concerns of inappropriate practices. Investigations may include, but are not limited to, visits to the child's town of origin; interviews with birth relatives, orphanage staff, or social workers; DNA testing; and/or a field investigation.
If additional clarification and evidence does not fully resolve the issue quickly, the consular officer must send the petition to USCIS for review and adjudication. USCIS is the only agency with the authority to adjudicate NCA cases. If a case is identified as "Not Clearly Approvable", the consular officer sends the petitioner notification of the transfer to USCIS and provides contact information so that further inquiries may be directed to USCIS.
See it here.
Ethiopia: USCIS Update on Processing of “Not Clearly Approvable” Cases Referred by Embassy Addis Ababa
Take a look at this report. It may give you some additional information and clarity on the issue of embassy approvals. I know this has been a frustrating facet for many parents.
http://www.ethicanet.org/uscis-update-on-processing-of-not-clearly-approvable-cases-referred-by-embassy-addis-ababa#.TsVv7rUIC2k.email
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http://www.ethicanet.org/uscis-update-on-processing-of-not-clearly-approvable-cases-referred-by-embassy-addis-ababa#.TsVv7rUIC2k.email
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USCIS procedure for processing adoption cases
Ethiopia
November 16, 2011Notice: Procedure for Processing Adoption Cases
This notice provides supplemental information to the adoption notice of October 7, 2011, adding additional details on the process applicable to orphan petitions filed with a U.S. Embassy Consular Section overseas. While the description has been tailored to answer inquiries specific to Ethiopia, the steps described in this explanation apply to all non-Hague countries. This notice only describes the process for Forms I-600 filed with U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa. For processing information on cases filed domestically with USCIS through the National Benefits Center (NBC), please refer to the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.Once adoptive parents are in possession of the final adoption decree from the Federal First Instance Court, approval letters from the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, the child’s birth certificate and Ethiopian passport, and all other required Form I-600 supporting documentation, they (or their authorized agent) may file Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, with the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa if they have met the physical presence requirements for filing a Form I-600 petition overseas.
Upon receipt of the Form I-600 and accompanying documentation, the U.S. Embassy begins the Form I-604, Determination on Child for Adoption, orphan status investigation – the process to determine if the child meets the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law. The time frame for completion of the Form I-604 determination depends on the circumstances of each case, but can take up to several weeks or months. During this time, additional information or documentation may be requested by the U.S. Embassy for cases with insufficient or deficient supporting evidence to determine orphan status.
In certain cases it may be necessary to interview the child’s Ethiopian birth parent(s) or guardian, or the individual who found an abandoned child, to resolve errors or discrepancies discovered in the case file. The U.S. Embassy conducts such interviews for cases in which the consular officer deems interview(s) necessary to make a determination on the child’s orphan status. Birth relative and other interviews are often an integral part of the Form I-604 determination.
The U.S. Embassy must then determine whether the case is clearly approvable. If a case is clearly approvable, the U.S. Embassy approves the Form I-600 petition and issues an immigrant visa. If there are questions regarding the child’s orphan status or the information is insufficient to make a determination, federal regulation requires that the U.S. Embassy forwards the case as “not clearly approvable” to the USCIS Field Office in Nairobi, Kenya, for further processing. When this occurs, the U.S. Embassy sends out a transfer notice to the petitioners when the case is physically forwarded to USCIS Nairobi, and provides contact information for further questions.
Upon receipt of a petition identified as “not clearly approvable,” the USCIS Nairobi Field Office notifies the parent(s) that the case has been received and issues requests for additional evidence and other notices, if necessary. Upon review of all available evidence including any response to a Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny, USCIS issues a decision and notify the petitioners. For details of the USCIS process, please visit USCIS’ Ethiopia Q&A page. If the case is approved, USCIS Nairobi returns the case to the U.S. Embassy for visa processing.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Interview with adult adoptee Hannah Poole
Here is a link to the recent interview by CNN of Hannah Poole. She was adopted from Eritrea. Good listen!
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2011/10/03/african-voices-hannah-pool-1.cnn
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2011/10/03/african-voices-hannah-pool-1.cnn
Saturday, November 5, 2011
FW: November Webinar
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It is critical that adoptive parents have a good understanding of the impact of loss on their children. Parents are often puzzled, worried, frustrated and sometimes overwhelmed by their children's behaviors and are not sure what to do. Participants will come away with a greater understanding of the unique losses experienced by adopted children, and the critical factors that influence children's reaction to loss. Ms. Krebs will address the 4 psychological tasks of grief work, as well as effective parenting strategies and healing therapies for children and teens. 
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