A local woman has made it her mission to extend an embrace halfway around the world. Tammy Henderson, a Peyton resident, is project manager for orphans at Orphanís Promise, an organization that facilitates adoptions and aids children who live in orphanages in Ukraine.Operation Blessing International, World Reach and Christian Broadcast Network established Orphanís Promise.Two training centers ñ one in Kiev and one in Berdyansk ñ were created by Orphanís Promise to assist children as they leave the orphanage, Henderson said. The centerís staff mentor the children by helping them learn to speak English, develop life skills and find jobs and housing.Henderson said orphans typically leave or ìage outî of an orphanage at age 16. Because of this they are on their own at an early age and faced with life decisions they may not be prepared to make.Orphanís Promise also focuses on fostering value and purpose in a childís life as they leave the facility. Henderson said children who are old enough to leave an orphanage are generally directed into a career of the Ukrainian governmentís choosing. Orphanís Promise encourages children leaving the orphanage to attend school and develop skills in areas that interest them so they can choose their own career path.Adoptions are a priority, too.ìFinding families is easier for younger children,î Henderson said. ìOrphanís Promise tries to raise awareness of older children who are available for adoption.îThe group works directly with orphanages rather than adoption agencies to find families for Ukrainian orphans. The goal is to establish a relationship between the adoptive parents and the children before the adoption is complete.Often orphans are brought to the U.S. to stay with host families, Henderson said. Last Christmas, several orphans visited the U.S. to perform ìRussian Shoemaker,î meet families and raise funds for the orphanages, she said.Meg Bussell, a volunteer who works with orphanages worldwide, said an increase in culture exchange programs like this gives orphans a chance to gain exposure to American culture.ìI was shocked to learn 100,000 Ukrainian children live in orphanages and another 100,000 live in the streets of Ukraine,î Bussell said.Children become orphans in Ukraine as a result of poverty, alcoholic or abusive parents or parents imprisoned or deceased, Henderson said.Hendersonís interest in Ukrainian orphanages peaked after she read a college paper her friend wrote about Ukraine. She became an Orphanís Promise volunteer for two years and later a part-time employee. Henderson is in the process of adopting two Ukrainian girls, ages 11 and 12. She also has five boys of her own, from ages 3 to 21.In Ukraine, the adoption process usually takes five months to one year, Henderson said. Adoption agencies typically charge a $15,000 to $30,000 fee to process an adoption. If prospective parents do their own legwork, the costs are reduced to $8,000 to $10,000.Programs are available for people who would like to adopt but find it financially restrictive. ìAdoptions can be more affordable for people through available tax credits, military subsidies and employee matching funds,î Bussell said.State and U.S. immigration laws must be followed. Henderson said families considering adopting could access forms on the Internet. A complete home study and dossier are sent to a Ukraine office to be translated.Henderson warns that adoption agencies are sometimes unethical, and bribes are common in Ukraine. She said even government officials have asked for money to process adoptions. The organizationís goal is to help make the process more ethical.Bussell agrees that research is vital to making an educated decision on how to proceed with an adoption. ìMake sure the agency is reputable,î she said. ìThat is something people really need to check out. Most agencies have a list of references to call.îBussell has already adopted three children ñ two from Ukraine and one from Korea ñ and is in the process of adopting two siblings from Ukraine. She said she was inspired to adopt because, ìOnce youíve met the kids you canít get them out of your head.îOne difference between domestic and international adoptions is that the latter tends to be closed, with little information given to adoptive parents about the birth parents, Bussell said. Parental rights are relinquished immediately after the children are brought to an orphanage. On the other hand, domestic adoptions are often open, and parental rights may not be relinquished for many years.Henderson said she will continue to make it her lifeís work to help Ukrainian orphans. ìEveryone has a heart for something, or a calling,î she said. ìThis was my calling.î
