I've been encouraged by your inquiries and prayers on behalf of the kids I posted about yesterday (
Hosting Opportunity); Some of you have asked 'What are the Host family's responsibilities?'
Below is what I received from Journeys of Joy.
Also to clarify, they haven't even updated their site with these children; They notified me last night that the 7 yr old boy, Zelinin does NOT have the siblings listed. They had them with the wrong little boy.
Hope this is helpful as you consider or encourage others...
Journeys of Joy, Inc.
Information All Potential Host Families Should Know……….
Host Family Responsibilities
What are my responsibilities—financial and otherwise—as a Host Family?
All host families, are responsible for the following:
Providing hosted children with all meals;
Providing hosted children with clothing
Paying for any activities in which you choose to participate;
Paying the $2,500.00 Program Fee
Providing the add-on fare for children traveling to airports other than Washington/Dulles and Logan/Boston.
Providing all transportation to and from the airports to your home;
The cost of FBI fingerprint background check and State Child Abuse Check.
If your hosted child is late to be dropped off at the airport for their return flight, the Host Family will be responsible for covering incurred costs which may include, but are not limited to, the change-of-ticket fee for the child and an orphanage guardian/translator, purchasing a new airline ticket (if necessary), and for paying for the hotel fees for children and guardian/translator prior to their departure;
If your hosted child has an accident or emergency medical situation, the Host Family is responsible for covering the $100 deductible and presenting all information to Journeys of Joy in order to process the claim with the Global Underwriters, Inc. insurance agency. If this is not done, then the Host Family will be fully responsible for all medical bills.
Financial Requirements:
Cost: Journeys of Joy Travel Program costs approximately $2500 per child
What does the cost include? The Journeys of Joy Travel Program Fee includes the cost of passports, emergency medical insurance, visas, and transportation from Ukraine to Washington/Dulles airport or to Logan/Boston airport for all children and translators, and a donation to your hosted child’s orphanage.
How do I make the Travel Program Payment? All Journeys of Joy Travel Program Fees are tax deductible. The Travel Program Fee can be made by check or via credit card through Pay Pal via the Good Hope Adoption website. Checks are payable to Journeys of Joy and mail them to the address below. If you prefer to pay via credit card, please note that there is an additional 3% credit card fee that will be deducted from your payment. Therefore, families paying via credit card will be responsible for an additional 3% fee. Credit card payments can be made in maximum payments of $2,000 minus the 3% fee per Paypal name. The Good Hope Adoption website is: www.goodhopeadoption.org The Good Hope Adoption mailing address is:
900 Route 134, Suite 3-30
South Dennis, MA. 02660
Can I fundraise to offset my costs? If families are interested in hosting and do not feel that they can afford the Program Fee, we encourage families to seek donations for their sponsored child from friends, families, churches, or businesses. Because Journeys of Joy is affiliated with Good Hope Adoption which holds the 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, all donations will be receipted and are tax deductible.
Note: If you do raise money for your hosted child:
ALL FUNDS are due on the Travel Program Due Date.
Please be certain that all checks are made payable to Good Hope Adoption, and please mail ALL checks TOGETHER in one envelope.
Please mark YOUR name and YOUR HOSTED CHILD’S name in the memo line of the check.
Please have all donors mail checks to you, and then mail all checks TOGETHER to Good Hope Adoption.
Required Paperwork
Preliminary Application
Journeys of Joy Full Travel Program Application. Please fill out all of the information and return the Full Application to the Journeys of Joy mailing address with your $2,500.00 Travel Program Fee.
Local State Criminal Background Check: If you will be doing a “Short Visit Report” or Home Study, you can ask your social worker to do a FBI Check, or you can contact a national agency to do your report. Local Criminal Background Checks must be provided for all persons in your household ages 18 and older.
Local Child Abuse Clearance: When you apply for your National Criminal Background Check, please also apply for a Local Child Abuse Clearance. All persons in your household ages 18 and older must present Journeys of Joy with a Child Abuse Clearance.
Host Family Agreement: The Journeys of Joy Host Family Agreement is included. Please be sure to fill in the necessary information and sign this form. It must be returned to Good Hope Adoption with the Full Travel Program Application.
The Good Hope Adoption Authorization for Release and Exchange of Information Form: Please be certain that both parties sign this form releasing Host Family information to Good Hope Adoption.
Timeframe
Journeys of Joy is Good Hope Adoption’s host travel program, which is for four weeks each summer (typically from late July through early August) and for three weeks each winter (typically from mid December—before the Christmas holiday and New Year—until early January). There is a great deal of planning and organization that goes into our Travel Program. While Journey of Joy is able to control some things, specific issues relating to our Travel Program are not in our control. For example, because the children who travel to the United States are all orphans, their paperwork has to be processed through the Ukrainian government on the local and national levels before it can be presented to the United States Embassy. As a result, Journeys of Joy will not be able to provide you with exact travel dates until closer to the travel time. Because we are dependant upon the Ukrainian government and the United States Embassy (as well as the availability of the airlines), we do ask for your patience, understanding, and flexibility as we organize the exact dates of each program. Please rest assured that we will provide you with accurate and up-to-date information about the program dates and times as soon as we possibly can.
Host Program Regulations
Under no circumstances are you permitted to keep your hosted child past the travel program dates. Journeys of Joy cannot allow families to host or keep children past our travel program dates. Doing so would jeopardize our entire program with the Ukrainian government, the United States Embassy, and the orphanage staff with whom we work. Your child must be at the airport at the designated time on the designated date.
Hosting children: Families are not permitted to host more than two (2) children in their home per Travel Program. Please contact Journeys of Joy staff if you have questions about this.
Arrival and Departure: Host Families are responsible for picking up and dropping off their hosted children at the airport. If your hosted child is late to be dropped off at the airport for their return flight, the Host Family will be responsible for covering all incurred costs. The costs may include, but are not limited to, the change-of-ticket fee for the child and an orphanage guardian/translator, purchasing a new airline ticket (if necessary), and for paying for the hotel fees for children and guardians/translators prior to their departure.
Flights: Children will either fly into Logan/Boston or Dulles airports. Journeys of Joy must work in conjunction with the Ukrainian government as well as the U.S. Embassy and various Ukrainian and U.S. airlines PRIOR to purchasing the airline tickets. When you agree to host a child, you are agreeing to take responsibility for their arrival and departure—regardless of whether or not they will fly into an airport nearest you.
Responsibility: It is the responsibility of host families to serve as the guardians of Journeys of Joy Program children at all times. Therefore, hosted children may not spend the night at other people’s homes without their host families. Journeys of Joy must abide by strict rules that prohibit anyone who has not been approved through our program of hosting Journeys of Joy Travel Program Children. Your child will be removed from your home, at your expense, if we find that he/she has stayed with a non- Journeys of Joy Family. If you have a friend or family member who you would like to have approved to help you host your child, please contact Journeys of Joy staff.
Cell Phones: Journeys of Joy strongly recommends that all host families carry cell phones with them to and from the airport as well as during outings with your hosted child. It is of paramount importance for our staff to be able to reach you. In the past, Host Families have been caught in traffic or have had emergencies and have not been able to contact our staff. Communication is of the essence with the Journeys of Joy Travel Program. Please be sure to carry our staff’s numbers with you at all times, and please be certain that your (and your spouse’s, if applicable) cell phone numbers are on record with our organization.
Insurance: Journeys of Joy insures all Travel Program children, guardians, and translators through Global Underwriters, Inc. If there is an accident or if your child needs medical coverage, please contact us. Host families are responsible for paying the $100 deductible for the medical coverage. All information and details should be submitted directly to Journeys of Joy in order to process the claim for complete coverage.
Punishment: Corporal punishment is NOT ALLOWED under any circumstances by Journeys of Joy. If families are discovered using corporal punishment, their hosted child will be removed from the home.
Other Cultural Differences:
Food: Journeys of Joy Travel Program children come from orphanages throughout Ukraine; therefore, their diets vary. However, all orphanages are poor, and the children do not eat as well as they could. Popular Ukrainian foods include potatoes, cabbage, and soup. Starchy foods are also popular and common in Ukraine.
Children may not like American food when they initially arrive. Please be prepared for this, and do not be offended. Sometimes, American food can upset the children’s stomachs. Most of the time, children do seem to enjoy pizza, chicken, french fries, and ice cream.
When offering food to the children/guardians/translators, please be persistent. It is custom in Ukraine to say “no” the first time food is offered, even if one is hungry. Please be aware of this cultural difference and be prepared to ask several times if your hosted child is hungry or wants to eat. We recommend placing food in front of your host children and encouraging them to “eat up!”
Temperature: During the summer months, orphanages do not have the luxury of using air conditioning. Be prepared for your hosted children to be cold while the air conditioning is running. In the winter months, Ukraine is typically very cold, and the children are somewhat resilient to it. Nevertheless, please be sure that your hosted child is comfortable and has the necessary coats, gloves, blankets, etc., that he or she may need.
Communication: Many Ukrainians are very decisive and sometimes seem stubborn or abrupt to Americans. The Russian language uses many harsh tones and commanding phrases. Please note that this is a cultural difference and not a personal infraction. You may notice that some Ukrainians seem to be screaming at each other when speaking in Russian. This is a commonly accepted way of communication in Ukraine.
English: The children who participate in all of Journeys of Joy Travel Programs come from orphanages throughout Ukraine. These orphanages are typically impoverished and their staff may be undereducated. While all children are supposed to take English classes in school, many of the children do not speak any English at all. The Ukrainian government does not pay for English education for the children. Please do not expect children to speak more than a few words of English, if that. Additionally, if children do know some English, they are often embarrassed that they may say a word wrong or sound funny. Please understand that it takes time and patience for many children to speak what little English they know.
Hygiene: Due to limited hot water in the orphanages, many Ukrainian children are unfamiliar with hot water, and they are also unfamiliar with bathing on a daily basis. These are important things to explain to hosted children. Please also reinforce the importance of the children brushing their teeth twice daily; washing their hands after using the restroom; and, washing their hands before eating meals. In Ukraine plumbing is also very different from the United States: therefore, children are accustomed to disposing of toilet paper in the trashcan instead of in toilets. This is a hard habit for children to break. Please encourage children to flush all toilet paper, and please be aware that some toilet paper will still end up in your family’s trashcan. Additionally, Ukrainian children tend to wash their undergarments and socks while showering. Please be aware of this.
Clothing: Because hosted children are coming from orphanages, they may come to the United States with only the clothes they are wearing. Many children visit the United States only bringing a single piece of luggage. We encourage all host families to go through the bag with their sponsored child so you can be aware of the clothing needs of your hosted child. Because many orphanage children share their clothes, they do not bring many clothes to the United States. Good Hope Adoption encourages orphanage children, staff, and directors to help children separate clothing to pack for their trips to the United States; but this rarely happens. Please realize that is the responsibility of the Host Family to provide clothing to hosted children. Clothing can be a hand-me-down, purchased from consignment shops, or purchased new.
Gifts: Because children often arrive with few belongings, many families shower the children with gifts the moment they arrive. However, this gives the child the impression that their family is rich, and it often creates a spoiled child for the bulk of the visit. PLEASE do not spoil your child. Physically visiting the United States and staying in a home is a great experience for the child in itself!
Travel Program Shopping Advice:
Try to refrain from over indulging your child during the first week of the visit. Journeys of Joy host families have found that the first week of the visit often sets the pace for the entire stay in the United States.
You may buy your hosted child a few necessities when they arrive, but it is important to say “No” (or “Nyet!” which means “no” in Russian) if or when they start asking for shopping trips, CD players, and iPods!
It is up to the discretion of host families to make “want-based” purchases for your hosted child; however, it is advisable to wait until the last week of the children’s visit so that you are not setting a standard for their time in the United States.
Please be mindful of the orphanage staff and the hours that they spend working with the children and teaching them both before and after their visits.
Please also be mindful of the other children at the orphanages who were unable to come to the United States. We need to remind the children that they need to be respectful and caring of one another at all times . . . even once they return to Ukraine.
In the past, children who have returned to Ukraine with an exorbitant amount of gifts have had many of their things stolen. Please keep this in mind when making purchases for your hosted child.
All families and host families are different. Therefore, children will inevitably arrive back to Ukraine with different gifts, clothing, etc. Please be aware that many of the children will discuss their activities and purchases with each other both during and after their stay within the United States. As all children do, hosted children often compare their schedules and their gifts. Please keep this in mind and please feel free to discuss such differences with your hosted child.
Important Information about Orphanage Children
Children who have been living in orphanages or who grow up in “institutionalized care,” often present the following concerns which include, but are not limited to the following:
Learning disabilities
Developmental delays
Delayed growth and development
History of trauma, loss, physical and/or emotional abuse, neglect and/or abandonment
Speech and language delays
Emotional and behavioral problems
Nutritional deficits
Attachment problems
Undetected health concerns
Note: The Ukrainian government places children with severe delays and/or disabilities in separate orphanages from “mainstream” children. At this time, Journeys of Joy is only working with children from such “mainstream” orphanages.
Journeys of Joy Recommends . . .
At the airport: When you arrive at the airport to pick up your hosted child, please bring a sign with his/her name on it. Please also pack a small meal or snack or be ready for a trip to McDonalds for your hosted child, as children are often hungry as they arrive to the airport.
Other Host Families: Please contact other host families in your area so that children can play together and host families can share stories. Journeys of Joy have found that children enjoy being able to speak Russian and relax with their friends during their visit to the United States as well.
Weekly Activities: Please plan at least two activities each week for your hosted child and/or guardian/translator. Activities do not need to involve costs: you could go sightseeing in the car, visit a park, attend the story-hour at a nearby library, etc. Having planned activities gives the children and adults something to look forward to and it also enriches their experience, education, and understanding of our culture and nation.
Community Gatherings: Since one of the main purposes of the Journeys of Joy Travel Program is to increase awareness of the needs of orphaned children living in Ukraine, we ask host families to consider hosting a picnic, dessert party, or gathering with friends and family We will also be hosting two gatherings for all of the Ukraine hosting children and families to meet and share their experiences.
Journeys of Joy Conflict Resolution Plan For Host Child Difficulties
If you are having trouble communicating with your child, or if you feel like you need help, Journeys of Joy Staff ask you to please contact a translator first. Journeys of Joy believe that it is very important for hosted children to be able to express themselves clearly as well. We strongly encourage all host families to contact a translator to help with conflicts or communication difficulties. Communication and understanding between the hosted child and Host Family are key components of our program. We ask all host families to be aware of the difficulty of the time, language, and cultural differences that the children experience upon arriving to the United States. Please provide your hosted child with time to adjust to his or her new surroundings.
Re-placement of child in a different home: If you are having trouble with your hosted child and you would like your child to be placed with another family, please follow the Journeys of Joy Conflict Resolution Plan:
We ask all host families to give their hosted children a minimum of three or four days to adjust to the new time difference, their new surroundings, and their Host Family before contacting Journeys of Joy . . .
Note: If your child must be removed from your home and re-placed in another home in a different city, the original Host Family is responsible for the cost of airfare for their hosted child and guardian/translator to relocate.
72-Hour Conflict Resolution Plan:
STEP 1: Please contact Journeys of Joy Staff immediately to explain your situation and to express your concerns.
STEP 2: Journeys of Joy Staff will immediately contact a translator to intervene in the situation. The translator should intervene within 24 hours of the initial complaint phone call. Journeys of Joy prefer intervention to be done in person, but if a translator cannot get to your home, the intervention can be done via telephone. After the intervention, we ask for all host families to please wait 24 hours.
STEP 3: If the Host Family, after 48 hours from the initial contact, still desires for children to be placed in another home, the family must immediately call Journeys of Joy Staff, and re-placement plans will be made within the next 24 hours. All host families must understand that they will NOT receive a refund or reimbursement for children who families choose to have removed from their home and placed with another Host Family.
Resources for Host Families and Potentially Adoptive Families
Reading in English: www.starfall.com; website for helping children learn to read
Center for Adoption Support and Education, Inc. (C.A.S.E.)
8505 Arlington Blvd., Suite 420
Fairfax, VA 22301
703.573.3701; www.adoptionsupport.org
Russian Yellow Pages and Russian-Speaking Web Portal for Greater Washington and Baltimore: www.russiandc.com
FRUA (Families for Russian & Ukrainian Adoptions): www.frua.org
For more important information about the Ukrainian adoption process please visit the website of the US Embassy in Kiev: http://web.usembassy.kiev.ua/amcit_adoptions_eng.html
Adoption-related Book: The Russian Adoption Handbook: How to Adopt from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova by John H. Maclean
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I host a child even if I do not want to adopt?
Yes, please do! We encourage and welcome individuals and families to host children even if they are not interested in adoption. Our primary goal of the travel program is to raise awareness of the children’s needs to foster the improvement of the health, education, and general welfare of all orphan children in Ukraine. Therefore, the travel program itself raises funds for that purpose. You help us achieve such goals by hosting a child.
Is it unfair to host a child that you are not going to adopt?
Absolutely not! Many of the children to travel to the United States through the Journeys of Joy Travel Program would never have the opportunity to visit America or stay with a family if people only interested in hosting did not participate in our program. Our program is a Travel Program, not an adoption program. Our goals are to raise awareness and to provide orphaned children with a cultural and educational experience in the United States. We strive to help as many children as possible, and there are numerous ways in which Journeys of Joy tries to help the children. Donations for basic needs such as food, clothing, medicine, and education as well as short-term humanitarian aid trips and grants for self-sufficiency projects or building repair all help to meet such needs. This program is just one more resource to improve the lives of the children with whom we work. Often, families who do not adopt still take a vested interest in their hosted child’s future by funding that child’s basic needs and/or future education.
Can we buy the child gifts while he or she is in the US?
Oftentimes, the children come with a small plastic bag of personal items. Any gift giving is optional, but our advice is to moderate your giving over the four weeks that the children are in the United States. Families often make the mistake of giving their child anything they want during the first week of their stay, and this leads the child to believe you have an endless source of income in addition to creating a spoiled and confused child for the remainder of the child's stay.
What are the ages of the children traveling?
The ages of the children traveling to the United States are between the ages of 8 and 15.
Who decides which children come to visit the United States?
Journeys of Joy staff in the United States and Ukraine work closely with the orphanage Directors and orphanage staff to select children who have good behavior, positive attitudes, and good grades in school. Children are selected with the intention of the Travel Program and trip to the United States as a reward for them. Despite our process, children do end up traveling to the United States who has behavioral and emotional issues. Please be aware of this when hosting.
Can the child stay longer than the prescribed time of the program?
NO! This is a strict rule that we cannot change. It is the requirement of the Ukrainian government and the US Embassy that the children return to Ukraine at the prescribed time. Any violation of this rule endangers the future of the whole program as well as the future of the child you are hosting.
If I host a child that I want to adopt, can I reserve that child for my family alone?
No. Having a child in your house as part of the Travel Program does not mean the child will be reserved for you to adopt. Older children are not adopted as frequently as younger children, but there is still a possibility that another family may adopt your hosted child. Thus far, almost every Host Family that has wanted to adopt the child who they have hosted has been able to do so. In the past, there have been a few families who have not been able to adopt the child they hosted because the child was adopted by another family.
Can I find out personal details and information about the child I host?
The children involved with the Journeys of Joy Travel Program come from different orphanages within Ukraine. The orphanage director usually chooses the children on the basis of good behavior and good grades. We do not have any family or medical history on the children. However, we do know that any children with serious diseases are housed in separate orphanages. Among the children that do travel, the orphanage director cancels the trip for a child who has any minor illnesses. If you do decide to adopt the child you are hosting, you will receive all of the child's family and medical background information from the National Adoption Center.
Is it possible to obtain a student visa for the child I host?
Some families who do not want to adopt want to bring their child to the United States to go to school or college. This option is possible, but extremely difficult. As with adoptions, this process must be handled apart from Journeys of Joy. You may contact a local lawyer in your city that specializes in student visas. You may also refer the lawyer to Journeys of Joy if he has questions you cannot answer.
Do you send children to any state in the US?
We will send children to any state within the United States, but we request that interested families try to bring at least five children to each host city. We require a minimum of two children per each translator/guardian per area. If there are one or two families interested in hosting children, we suggest they try to find a few more families to host children as well, in order to bring at least five children into your area. Families must pay the airfare from Washington, D.C or Logan, Boston, to their local airport.
Can I keep in contact and/or financially support the child I hosted if they remain in Ukraine?
Many host families want to keep in contact with the children they host in order to help them with basic needs and/or their education. This is one of the main goals of the program and it is strongly encouraged. You may keep in contact with the child you hosted through e-mail, and you may send money and/or packages to the child as often as you please. You will receive the e-mail of a translator, upon request, who will translate letters and ensure that your gifts get to your child for a nominal, monthly fee.
Can I visit the child I hosted in Ukraine?
Yes! The children absolutely love having their host families visit them in Ukraine, and actually seeing the orphanages and the children in their “homes” proves to be a life-changing experience for our teams. Please contact us if you are interested in traveling on a team or if you would like to organize a team to travel to Ukraine through Journeys of Joy.
I am a single woman, can I host a child?
As long as all of the application materials are included, single women can host children as well. We do not restrict our hosts to married couples or families.
Can my hosted child attend a sleepover?
It is the responsibility of host families to serve as the guardians of Journeys of Joy Travel Program children at all times. Please contact us for more information on our policy regarding this.
Can I travel outside of the United States with my hosted child?
No, host families are not permitted to take their hosted children outside of the United States. Neither the children’s visas nor their insurance will allow the children to leave the United States.
Printed with permission from Frontier Horizons .
Crash Course in Russian
Hi—Priviyett
How are you?—Cock de la?
What is your name?—Cock tibeya zovoot?
My name is—Me nya zovoot
How old are you?—Skolka tibeya leeyet?
Please and Thank you—Pajalsta
Okay/Good—Kadashaw
Very good--Ochen horosho
You’re welcome—Spaseeba
Good-bye-- paka (familiar), Dos vadanya( formal)
Do you want to eat?—Tee hoechesh kooshet?
Go to sleep—idi spat
What do you want to do today?—shto tee hoechesh sevoednya dielit?
What’s wrong?—shto takoye?
Do you need anything—Tee hochesh shtoto?
What do you like--Shto tebe niravitsya?
We like you---Tee nam niravitsha
Let’s go-- idiome, or poshlee
Yes—Da
No—Nyet
Don’t touch that—netrogoi eta
Come here--idi suda
Good morning—Dobrea utra
Good afternoon—dobray den
Do this—ezdilay eta
Do you need to go to the bathroom?—Tee hochish iti v toiliet?
Would you like to play—Tee hochish egrat...?
Stop—Pierestan, or astonavees
Would you like to go swimming?—Tee hochish kupatza?
I love you—Ya loo bloo tibya, or Ya tibya loo bloo
Shower—doush
Beach—plagge
Pool—baseyin
Lake—arica
Park—park
Store—mogazina
Drink—peet
Juice—sok
Yuck or eww—foo
One—a deem
Two—dva
Three—tree
Four—schiteery
Five—peeyat
Six—scheest
Seven—seem
Eight—voseem
Nine—a dievet
Ten—diezcit
