The True Impact of Family

  We believe that family based care is the very best option for all children.  Unfortunately, for many children living in institutions this dream remains out of reach.  This is especially so when the child has unique medical, therapy and educational needs that are not easily supported in the average foster family and local school system.    After much research and consideration of the resources available to us, we decided to launch our own family based care project that would fill the gap for the special needs children living in orphanages around China.

 Max arrived just a few months after we launched this new project in 2005.  He was an active, inquisitive ten-year-old much like any other, except he didn’t have a mom and dad.  It didn’t take long for him to settle in to his new family and start the big job of learning, exploring and building relationships with his foster parents and siblings. 

 When we started this project, we already knew in our hearts that a family is the irreplaceable link needed to truly nurture the growth and development of a child.   But to see it unfolding in real life was truly miraculous to behold!  Each of the children in our group foster homes has had physical, emotional and psychological hurdles to overcome, yet each has made progress that wildly exceeded our expectations.  Max was no exception, and over the years he has grown into a smart, capable, hardworking young adult.  To say that we are proud of him would be an understatement!

A number of children in our group foster homes have been adopted by families outside of China.  Many of them have not, and Max is one of those who remain in China.  With the support of his foster parents, he transitioned to an independent lifestyle and began working in the tourism industry.   And just this year Max met a beautiful young woman and asked her to be his wife.  Sadly, his foster mother passed away two years ago so she was not present for that joyful occasion.  

Max says to his Little Flower family now: “I’m a child who was helped by Little Flower.  I came to Beijing in 2005 and joined a family.  Since then, I have had parents, brothers and sisters.  It has truly changed the course of my life.  I was so very blessed, and now even more so because I am getting married!  You have watched me grow up… I sincerely hope you can witness my happiness.”  

We are grateful to you for your prayers and support.  You are making it possible for children just like Max to receive the love and nurturing of a family.  We hope and pray that each of them can grow to be strong, confident, resilient adults who don’t let their difficult beginnings define who they will become.  Thank you for helping make this a reality for each of our little ones!

Sunflowers

At our Classroom of Smiles, we love using all of our senses when we learn. There is a Chinese proverb that states,

“When I hear, I forget.

When I see, I remember.

When I do, I understand.”

Below, we walk you through a typical morning session in one of our Classroom of Smiles in a city in Northern China. 

First up, we looked at the sunflowers and made observations. What color are the petals? Are all the sunflowers the same size? Our teacher, Nana, led the students in a small discussion. 

Then, we used our ears to listen to the sounds of the petals moving and the seeds shaking. Each child held a sunflower and made observations on what they heard. 

Third, we smelled the sunflowers. 

Fourth, we touched the flowers. Teacher Nana led the children in a song with hand motions (see the video below).

And finally, we used our mouths to taste the seeds. 

The toddlers in this classroom loved using all five senses to learn about sunflowers!