Kidsave
Support Session
Week 4
Packing
• Families should use a suitcase with
wheels no larger than what would fit in
an overhead bin.
• Each child’s bag should have a yellow
ribbon tied somewhere easily visible.
• Each child’s bag needs a label with
child’s name and the Kidsave office
address in Bogota.
• What You Can Pack:
• What the child brought with them
• New shoes and clothes
• Mementos and gifts received
• DO NOT PACK PHOTO ALBUMS
AND SCRAPBOOKS.
Backpacks
• Children should carry a
backpack that they can
comfortably carry (only
one!).
• What You Can Pack:
• Photo albums and
scrapbooks, sweater,
snacks, a special
memento.
DO NOT PACK LIQUIDS
Gift Guidelines
You are not required to purchase
gifts for your host child to bring
home for their foster family,
foundation staff, siblings or friends.
If you choose to do so only small
gifts such as candy or souvenirs
should be purchased.
Review departure date/time/airline
Designate a meeting place –
arrive three hours before departure.
All kids MUST wear their t-shirts
on the plane home. NO
EXCEPTIONS!
Coordinators:
Remind the chaperone to bring
the passports
 Confirm the chaperone has
money to purchase food for the
kids at the airport before
departure and/or during any
layovers.
•
One bag per child will be
checked
•
Host families should keep their
host child in line for check-in
•
ONLY host families, translators,
and Kidsave staff can be at the
airport unless authorized by
the chaperone.
•
Goodbyes will be done before the
children go through security
A Variety of Emotions
•
•
•
We may see tears
We may see excitement
about returning to all that is
familiar
We may see withdrawal –
kids unable to say goodbye
• The children will stay in
Hogar Margarita for 2-3 days
prior to returning to their
foster families or foundations.
• You will be allowed ONE
phone call on August 3rd
from 8:00AM-9:00PM
(Colombian time)
PH: 057-1-2118002 or
PH: 057-1-2175180

We are working with ICBF to
change the current protocols.
Managing visits from
interested families when you
want to adopt:
•
•
•
•
•
This will be the most
challenging part of the visit
Remember why we continue
to advocate and do your best
to participate
Talk to your social worker/
Kidsave about your feelings
Help your host child to
engage in meeting other
families
Place the best interests of the
child first
Shifting
from “prospective adopter”
•
to “advocate”:
•
Not every family is the right fit for
every child
•
Be prepared to get questions about the
decision from close friends and family
who may have known your original
intentions
•
Consider what type of family would be
best for the child and continue advocating
in those circles
• ICBF maintains that it is not in the best
interest of the children to tell them before they
leave because:
•
Not all kids will leave with a potential
adoptive family
•
There is no guarantee that those moving
forward will adopt
•
We don’t want to get the kids hopes up
•
Children need time to process and discuss
with their psychosocial teams their visit and
future plans.
• Families must continue to reinforce with their
host child that they have enjoyed getting to
know them and have really enjoyed the
summer visit.
Behaviors you might be
seeing
Kids disengaging
•
Sadness
•
Difficulty sleeping
•
Not following direction/house
rules or routines
•
The child may seem
ambivalent about
returning
•
Clinginess
Don’t take this personally, the
child may be using this
ambivalence to avoid feelings
of loss
•
Things you might see at the
airport:
•
•
•
We may see tears
We may see excitement
about returning to all that is
familiar
We may see withdrawal –
kids unable to say goodbye
Dealing with your emotions
•
Recognize that these feelings
are natural and allow yourself
time to process them
•
Think of ways (i.e. writing in a
journal, talking with your loved
ones or social worker) that you
can use to help cope with these
emotions
•
If you have children, remember
that they may be emotional as
well and may need the
opportunity to talk about this
Don’t Promise!
• As the child prepares to
leave, you may want to
make future promises to
help put the child at ease,
but this can be detrimental
as we never know what the
future will bring.
•
Making the adoption
decision:
• Take the two weeks after
the child leaves to
decompress and discuss
the decision
• Consult with
professionals
• Talk to other adoptive
families
• Let your coordinator
know your adoption
decision
• Use your support
system
Things to Consider:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Time
Financial Commitment
Resources in the community
Family dynamics
Do you think you can meet
the child’s needs
Family support
Are you considering adoption
for the right reasons?
Families wishing to adopt:
• Let the coordinator know of
your intent
• Identify a Hague accredited
adoption agency working in
Colombia to facilitate the
adoption
• Kidsave can provide an
agency partner list – you
are not required to use
these agencies
After the two week period (Friday,
August 16) families can submit their
Letter of Intent (LOI).
• Send a signed hard copy of the
Spanish version of your LOI via
Federal Express or DHL Instituto
Colombiano de Bienestar
Familiar (ICBF) – (template
provided with address)
• LOI must be submitted to
ICBF in Spanish
• Spanish and English versions
must be submitted to Delta
Kirkland at
[email protected]
•Q&A
• Program Evaluation