Launchpad Part 1 - A Young Man's Dreams

 Although our work has for many years focused on infants, toddlers and younger children, we have long been aware of the need to provide services to teens and  young adults with special needs.  It is an unfortunate reality that many disabled orphans will transition to adulthood lacking the skills and resources needed to lead meaningful and independent lives. 

This was made abundantly clear to us when we were approached last year by a teen named YJ who had been helped as an infant in our medical home and then spent many years in one of our group foster homes.  His orphanage had recalled all of their children several years ago, as policies changed and regulations tightened.  This young man was 17 years old, had significant physical disabilities, and a dawning realization that he was facing a lifetime of "imprisonment" and isolation within the walls of his social welfare institute. (*See note about "aging out" orphans below.)

YJ as an infant in our medical home

YJ shared his hopes with us... hopes of furthering his education and learning vocational skills, getting a job, a house, and maybe even someday getting married and having a family.  He wanted to be able to go shopping for himself, eat out at restaurants, go to church, the movies, meet up with friends, maybe even travel... in short, he wanted freedom to  make his own decisions and pursue his dreams.  Of course he could stay where he was, never have to work, and always have his meals and shelter provided.  But he knew that life would not be meaningful or fulfilling.  He felt a great sense of loss for what might have been, and longing for more.

YJ doing therapy (age 8)

We left that encounter haunted by what he shared with us.  We realized that YJ was not an isolated case.  The feelings that he expressed were certainly shared by many young adults in similar situations.  But what was the solution?  Was it even practical or realistic to think that he could escape the future that was looming before him?

We began brainstorming, and while the list of possibilities was endless, so were the challenges.  It has been many months of planning, preparation, and countless soul searching discussions with YJ and others like him. The result is a model that we believe will be successful in helping motivated young adults make the transition from passive recipients of institutional care to productive, capable members of society.   

And so came the inspiration for our newest program  - Launchpad.  Stay tuned for our next post, where we'll share more details about YJ and the other young adults who are part of our brand new Launchpad pilot program, and how we are helping them turn their dreams into reality.

YJ working on his studies this year (2024)

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*We have heard from many who are interested in helping China's orphans (particularly adoptive parents) about their concern for "aged out" teens being turned out into the street and left to fend for themselves.  In our extensive work with countless orphanages over the past 30 years, we have never seen or heard of this ever happening.  This is because China's social welfare system is just that - a system of  social support for various groups of people in need, including abandoned children, those with mental illness, physical and intellectual disabilities, and the elderly.  Social welfare institutions exist to serve many different populations, not just abandoned children.