Monday, December 31, 2007

Consumer Protection Safety Commission

Consumer Protection Safety Commission's address is www.cpsc.gov/
Posted by at No comments:

When an adoption falls through

You know? Unsuccessful adoptions happens in domestic and international adoption as well.

Posted by at No comments:

Adoption/Kazakhstan listservs, newsletters, magazines, books, toys, etc

Start here: LarensAdoptionLinks.com

Yahoo Groups on Kaz adoption:

Websites:

Adoption Books:

  • Lists of Adoption Books at ComeUnity There is nothing specific to Kazakhstan here, but general adoption books and books for children too.
  • Purchase books at Tapestry Books

Helping family and friends understand about adoption:

Helping teacher understand about adoption and curriculum:

Everything else adoption:

Posted by at 1 comment:

Safe, healthy travels to Kazakhstan

Start getting immunizations. Some, such as Hepatitis AB, have a series of shots given over 6 months. Don't try to get all your immunizations at one time - you'll be in pain and broke! Check to see what immunizations you should get.

Register yourself with the Kazazkhstan Embassy for when you will be in Kazakhstan(reproduced from the U.S. State Dept. Consular Information Sheet)

Tips for living abroad by US Department of State. This is a really great list of things you should do and what kind of information you should leave with someone back home.

International Travel Warnings

General

Travel Agency:

Check health issues for in Kaz travel:

Travel Insurance
Travel insurance covers a plethora of things, including inconveniences like lost luggage. It also can cover Medivac and medical care, in-case you get seriously ill. You don't want to be stuck in a post-soviet hospital, where you can't communicate in a common language. Remember, healthcare in Kaz will be very different and your health insurance won't cover it. Make sure you ask what the insurance covers!

Communicate while you are there (without speaking):

  • Kwick Point Consumer Translators using universal pictorial images from KwickPoint.com (some have medical things on it)

Figure out how much US $ is compared to Kaz tenge

Amy created a great chart to convert Kaz Tge to US$ that you can print and take with you. Its based upon Feb 2008 values.

In case of emergency while you're there:

  • US Embassies Worldwide
  • US Embassy in Kazakstan general
  • US Embassy regarding Arrest, Death, and Emergency Services
  • US Embassy regarding Visas
  • US Embasy's Astana Medical Directory This actually tells you who speaks some english
  • MDtravelhealth.com's recommendations for healthy travel to Kazakhstan. Covers recommended immunizations, Other infections, recent outbreaks, Food and water precautions, General advice, Traveling with children, Ambulance, Medical facilities, Pharmacies, including addresses and phone numbers (of course they'll probably only speak Russian)!
  • World Health Organization's Hospital Care for Children This is a pocket-sized manual for use by doctors, senior nurses and other senior health workers who are responsible for the care of young children at the first referral level in developing countries.
  • Emergency Preparedness by USA.gov
  • Crisis Preparedness in Kazakhstan by the US Embassy in Kazakhstan
Posted by at No comments:

Kazakhstan Culture and Geography

Lonely Planet Travel Guide to Kazakhstan (website)

There is a lot of information at Kazakh Adoptive Families

There are links to more links about Kaz at VGSBooks.com

And at Kazakh-Aul-Us.org, which is a nonprofit organization founded by Kazakhs and Americans dedicated to Kazakh cultural education and support, based in Rhode Island but has members in 32 states. They have a family camp.

You can view the Kazakhstan Provinces at Answers.com

Read about Kazakhstan at AboutKazakhstan.com

US Embassy notes on Kazakhstan

Here is the Kazakhstan Embassy for the US and Canada
Posted by at No comments:

Great links about adoption

Comprehensive


International Adoption:

Blogs about Adoption in general:

Region specific:

Kazakhstan Adoption Specific:


Education about Adoption:

Adoption Ethics:

Posted by at No comments:

In-country medical, schedule, likes/dislikes interviews

Preadoption questions (for various ages) to ask offered by Towson University

Adopt Ukraine has a create list of questions to ask the caretakers
Posted by at No comments:

High-risk issues: Development, FAS, RAD, SPD, etc

Find an International Adoption Doctor. Here is a State by state listing. The majority of your communications with the IA doctor will be from out of country, so don't get hung up on having a local doctor unless you want.

General adoption-specific health issues:

Developmental Issues:

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome:

FAS Physical Abnormalities: Studies by Prof.Dr.med. Hermann Löser from the University Children's Clinic, Münster, Germany. He has followed hundreds of FAS children for over 20 years. His results are in "Ratgeber zur Alkoholembryopathie" published by Lambertus Verlag Freiberg.:

  • 98% are under normal height and weight
  • 84% Microcephalic (small circumfrance of head)
  • 89% Mental and Motor Retardation
  • 80% Speech impediments
  • 20% Hearing problems
  • 20% Swallowing/Feeding problems
  • 72% Hyperactive
  • 58% Slack muscles
  • 20% Autism/Aggressive/Social Problems
  • 95% Facial anomalies (**see below)
  • 29% Heart defects
  • 10% Kidney defects
  • 46% Genital deformities
  • 25% Eye problems
  • 16% Bent crooked little finger
  • 51% Shortened and bent little finger
  • 13% Underdeveloped fingers
  • 9% Hip deformities
  • 16% Small teeth
  • 30% Pigeon Chest
  • 7% Concave chest
  • 7% Cleft palate
  • 44% Spinal dimple
  • 12% Hernia
  • 35% Hair growth on back of neck

**Facial abnormalities:

  • small eye openings/small eyes, poor development of optic nerve, crossed-eyes, nearsightedness;
  • skin webbing between eyes and base of nose;
  • drooping eyelids;
  • failure of eyes to move in same direction;
  • a short, upturned nose;
  • sunken nasal bridge;
  • and indistinct philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip);
  • thin upper lip;
  • small upper mouth structure and teeth;
  • opening in roof of mouth;
  • low-set or poorly formed ears;
  • flattened cheekbones;

Children with FASDs might have the following characteristics: exhibit the following behaviors:

  • Facial abnormalities (see above)
  • Small size for gestational age or small stature in relation to peers: small body size and weight, small head;
  • bent, fused, webbed, or missing fingers or toes;
  • limited movement of joints, fingers and elbows
  • low birth weight
  • caved-in chest wall
  • extra fingers, abnormal palm creases
  • excessive hair
  • under-grown nails
  • umbilical or diaphragmatic hernia
  • deformed ribs and sternum;
  • curved spine;
  • hip dislocations;
  • incomplete development of genitalia
  • incomplete or lack of development of brain structures
  • Organ deformities: heart defects; heart murmurs; genital malformations; kidney and urinary defects.

Children with FASDs might exhibit the following behaviors:

  • irritability in infancy and hyperactivity in childhood
  • poor coordination
  • failure to thrive
  • developmental delay
  • organ dysfunction
  • epilepsy
  • poor coordination/fine motor skills
  • poor socialization skills, such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups
  • lack of imagination or curiosity
  • learning difficulties, including poor memory, inability to understand concepts such as time and money, poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills
  • behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal stubbornness, impulsiveness, and anxiety
  • Central nervous system handicaps: small brain; faulty arrangement of brain cells and connective tissue; mental retardation -- usually mild to moderate but occasionally severe; learning disabilities; short attention span; irritability in infancy; hyperactivity in childhood; poor body, hand, and finger coordination.
  • Poor coordination
  • Hyperactive behavior
  • Developmental disabilities (e.g., speech and language delays)
  • Mental retardation or low IQ
  • Problems with daily living
  • Poor reasoning and judgment skills
  • Sleep and sucking disturbances in infancy
Reactive Attachment Disorder:


Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD):

Language Development in Internationally Adopted Children:

Looking for something else?

Toys that address SPD and Developmental issues:

Posted by at 1 comment:

Developmental milestones and growth harts

The International Adoption Clinic at the University of Minnesota's
Evaluating the Health of the Adopted Child: Helpful Information to Obtain, a checklist

Developmental Milestones:

Growth Charts:

Attachment Checklists:

Adoption Doctor's International Adoption Forms...

Posted by at No comments:

How to create a Kaz dossier... efficiently

After creating 3 dossiers in one year (for China and Kaz and for 2 different agencies), we have learned some valuable lessons. We managed to create our last dossier in one week. However, that is only because we had the three documents that take the most amount of time to get. Creating a dossier is sort of like juggling, there is a certain pace and order to it to make sure its completed within the time perameters. Here is how to create a dossier in what we found to be the most efficient way...

Pre-preparation Forwarnings:
The dossier documents are time sensitive. No document can be older than 3-4 months before it is submitted to your agency or something like that (confirm with your agency). If you follow my advice here in the order of things, you shouldnt have a problem with it.

Some states have additional requires to get a document apostilled. Ask your Sec. of State's office ASAP for their apostille requirements - don't risk finding out later! Here is a listing of all the Secretaries of State and VitalCheck (where you can order your original documents from), thanks to the Assistant Stork. If you are from Ohio, here is some advice from Jill and John who found themselves in this situation. Original documents are apostilled in the state where they are generated, so this will take a little longer than those locally.

Phase One: you will be asking people to create documents for you. Those documents that are time sensitive (go in the dossier), tell them what you need now but tell them you won't need it until later - you'll give them at least 2 weeks notice.

  1. Contact a Homestudy Agency. Schedule appointments.
  2. If you don't already have your passport or need to get it renewed, get 'er done!
  3. Ask for reference letters if your agency or homestudy requests them. If you don't need the reference letters in your actual dossier, they can create, sign, and date them now.
  4. Start ordering any original documents that you need (marriage, divorce, birth). Start immediately with any that are from out of state.
  5. Let your employer know you will need them to write a letter for you. Give them the language that your agency gives you. Most likely, you'll be printing it on the letterhead yourself and have them sign it... Confirm with your agency whether this document needs a notary or whether you can have the additional document where you attest that it is a true original copy (which gets notarized). Hold off on collecting this document!
  6. Start filling out the forms that your agency gave you. Some are pretty easy and others are not. Follow their directions carefully. Different agencies have different forms (believe it or not) and different states have different notary language. Make sure you use the right language! (Some forms, such as the financial and home description documents may need a little bit of time and effort on your part. You may want to visit my Financial Spreadsheet which may help you organize your thoughts, at least the Net Worth worksheet in this document. did the budget sheet before we met with our homestudy, but we didn't need it). Whatever you do, DON'T sign, date and get them notarized yet.
  7. (You can start getting innoculated for your trip now or later. Hepatitis A&B immunizations require a series of 3 shots over 6 months. Ask your local health department or check here to find out what immunizations you'll need to travel).
  8. Open a Fed Ex account. This is the greatest thing for shipping packages and overnighting and easy to do.

Phase Two: After getting your homestudy report...

  1. Fill out the I600A and submit it. (Some states will allow you to submit the I600A and the homestudy report later; if that is the case, do it). You will get back a date, time and location of where to get your fingerprints done. This is the first step to getting your cherished I-171-H.
  2. Start shopping for the right notary. You'll need one who's commission doesn't expire for over a year, and you'll want one who's free. Your bank, financial advisor, lawyer, CPA or other should have one. Or make friends with someone who fits this criteria. Once all your documents are together and completed, you'll need to schedul a half hour appointment with them to get everything notarized.
  3. Get your fingerprints (not for the i-171-H) for the FBI. Your police or sherif department should offer this service. Make sure they use the cardstock (around 8-inc by 8-inch) with blue print version. Hold on to this card. You'll need to send it to the FBI for a report, but don't send it in until you receive you have completed your other (USCIS) fingerprint appointment.
  4. Send any out of state orginal documents to be apostilled in their original state.
  5. You can get new passport pictures which you'll need later (for visa?).

Phase Two: after you have your fingerprints done for the USCIS. Sometimes it takes 6-9 weeks to get the I171H.

  1. Mail your fingerprint card into the FBI. Make sure you write on the front of the envelope EXPEDITE for ADOPTION on the front. Follow your agency's paperwork instructions on the language to use in your request letter.
  2. Make an appointment with your doctor for your check up. Bring your required paperwork. Ask if they can get it to you later...
  3. You agency may require you to have a copy of your home deed, if so, get it now.
  4. Continue working on any of your own documents that you haven't completed; but don't sign and notarize them yet! Dont' forget the "true and original documents pages."
  5. Your agency may require you to have letters from your bank and mortgage company that you are a client in good standing. Start getting these now.
  6. Make color photocopies of your passport as your agency suggests. I actually printed out a bunch of sheets of paper with the "true and original copy" language on it, and the propery notary language on it, and placed the passport on top of the print out to make copies.

Phase Four: after you get your I171H...

  1. Ask for the documents you need from your doctors, employers, banks, mortage complanies, etc. If you have fortold them you needed them, they should be ready.
  2. Make an appointment with your notary friend. Notarize all the documents you need to.
  3. Fax copies of all these forms to your agency for review. You don't want to pay for the apostilles and find out something is wrong... If something is wrong, if its okay, carry on...
  4. Photocopy ALL your documents NOW. You may want to also make PDFs now for your records. Follow your agency's requirements; they may ask you to send multiple copies to them. Make sure you make one for yourself.
  5. Get all the documents apostilled (you should have already done any out of state ones).

Phase Five: after you get the apostilles back!

  1. Photocopy all the apostilles. Apostilles have numbers on them, make sure you know which number goes with each original document! Follow your agengies requirements as per copies (quantity and instructions) if they need them.
  2. Send the dossier to your agency. Woo-hoo! You're done!

Some additional Tips:

1. My husband's physician was uncomfortable providing a copy of his licensedue to security concerns. (I realize that more info is available on ourstate's public licensing web site, but still he was uncomfortable.) I got atip from a friend who recently had a physical done for a new job at a placecalled Workfit. They specialize in pre-employment physicals and drugscreening. I called them to see if they would do my husband's physical, andthey said "no problem!". I explained the paperwork involved, and still "noproblem!" They even had a notary onsite.

2. Not all notaries have the stamp or the wording to certify copies (e.g.copy of the physician's license). When you are arranging notary services, besure to explain that you need "copy certification" in addition to the usualidentity/signature certification.

3. Our home study agency required 3 personal references. Two of our friendsreturned theirs within a few days. The third one took 6 1/2 weeks. This isdespite the fact that she is herself a recent AP and knows how important itis. She also told me that she was excited to write the letter, and that if Ihadn't asked, she would have volunteered. So, I think she really did want tohelp, just didn't get around to it. It was incredibly frustrating waiting solong, especially as I have been watching wait times in Kaz lengthen. So, mysuggestion is to ask for one more reference than you need, and use the firstones you get back. Or use them all if you receive them all in a timely way.Hope this helps someone avoid some frustration!

Diane

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Learning Russian & Kazakh

Resource for both languages:

  • TONS of links from KazakhAdoptiveFamilies.com for both Russian and Kazakh. Look around this website if you havent - awesome site
  • If you're not already a member of the Kazakhstan Adoption Yahoo Group, then join. They have some good files on learning the languages. One is in Russian-Kazakh-English (this file is called "English to Kazakh Phrases"), including phrases appropriate for traveling and to speak to children, and another file in just Russian for speaking to children (called "Russian Child Talk" or Russian/English phrases).

Learn Russian for free:

Learn Kazkah for free:

Don't bother learning at all, but be able to communicate anyway:

  • Kwick Point Consumer Translators using universal images from KwickPoint.com
Posted by at No comments:

Activities with baby while traveling


Recite or sing Nursery Rhymes

Have fun with almost 100 Motor Activities for Infants and Toddlers

Multiple Intellegences

Activities for Toddlers

ZOOM activites to turn off the TV

Most babies say their first words by 12 months to 14 months. Between 15 and 18 months, your baby will enjoy language games that ask him to identify things, such as: "Where's your ear?" and "Where is Mommy?""Lessons" should be in the form of games to keep your child's interest, and they should be stopped at the first sign of boredom. Removing the pressure from a lesson or playtime will teach your baby that learning is fun, and he'll look forward to the activity in the future.

Your toddler will be very interested in experimenting with social activities and imitating adult actions in make-believe play. Give him toys that encourage symbolic play, such as kitchen sets, dolls, and dress-up clothes. Allow him to "shadow" you as you do chores or everyday activities, and give him some "chores" to do, such as brushing his teeth or putting on his shoes.

Great toys for exploring and experimenting include trains, play garden tools, outdoor toys (swing sets, slides), blocks, large crayons, baskets, and pots and pans. Shape sorters, pegboards, nesting toys and simple puzzles allow your baby to enhance his analytical skills. As always, read to your child. He will now follow along with the story and point out objects and people in the picture.

Lesson Plans
Posted by at No comments:

Preparations in order to travel

What should a person do after they submit their dossier and are waiting? some things are obvious, such as prepare the nursery. But there are other things too.

You may get your LOI and have only a few days to travel. So you should know about and plan for things will need to be taken care of while you are away. You'll need to plan for pets, children, the home, work, paying bills, etc.

I've put together a few excel spreadsheets to help us plan. Please note that most of these documents have multiple worksheets.
  • The Away from Home document has a calendar for expected bills to anticipate which you can edit and personalize. Remember, when you add columns or rows, the sum cells will probably not recognize that you have done so, so please check that the totals are true.
  • The Financial Worksheet helped us do budgeting for the financial forms in all our dossiers.
  • I will add a Packing List here
  • I will add a To Do list here
Posted by at 1 comment:

Defectology

Health is viewed very differently in Kaz. For instance, children are considered defective adults in Russia. This concept is called Defectology. Children are often diagnosed with conditions that are difficult for non-russian civilians (and doctors) to comprehend. Therefore, we must know what some terminology means so that we can comprehend the overall health of our children.

This post will cover some terminology and offer links to where we can find more information. Descriptions of high-risk serious issues can be found in other posts.

  • Diagnoses are not created to promote adoption of unhealthy children
  • Neuro-reflex-hyperexcitability syndrome - a description of a high strung infant
  • Hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome - increased pressure and increased amount cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain-if this were true, it would be incompatible with life!
  • Perinatal Encephalopathy - greater then 95% of medicals will have this diagnosis, which encompasses health conditions of the mother during pregnancy, the child's health during pregnancy, the child's health at the time of delivery, and the potential health issues of the child
  • Hypotrophy - decreased velocity of growth, failure to thrive
  • Intestinal Dysbacteriosis - bacteria or normal flora of the intestines
  • Congenital Dislocation or Displasia of the hip - commonly found on medicals, but this is not a common diagnosis
  • Cardiopathy - heart murmur
  • Eposure to Sphilis or Lues Disease is very common on Russian medical reports (20%)

For more information visit:

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)