Adoption Blog

Fax Machine Trouble

Dear Families,

Please note that if you tried to send a fax between COB (5 PM EST) on Thursday, November 5th and noon (EST) on Friday, November 6th, America World's main fax machine was experiencing technical difficulties, and these faxes were not received.  Our fax machine is now working properly again, and we ask that you resend your faxes to your intended party one more time to ensure that they were received.

Thanks and God Bless!

America World's Emails

Families,

Please take special note that we have received several notifications from various families that they are no longer receiving all of America World's emails.  In order to ensure that you receive all forthcoming pertinent emails from your family coordinators and all other America World staff, please be sure to add America World's domain to your email's "safe list" or "white list."

Depending on which email service you use (ie - gmail, yahoo, aol, verizon, etc), you should be able to add our domain (awaa.org) to your safe list so that it isn't picked up as spam and sent to your spam folder or entirely deleted altogether.

It might also be prudent to contact your email service provider and ask them to add "awaa.org" to their email safe list to further ensure the safe delivery of America World's emails to you.

“Growing In My Heart, Not Under It” Story

America World Associate, adoptive mother and freelance writer, Andrea Kidd, recently wrote an article for SunburstWomen.com.  Check out her story at http://sunburstwomen.com!

 

USCIS Changes Mailing Addresses For Adoption Applications

Filing a first time I-600A or I-600 application
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a new address for prospective adoptive parents to submit Form I 600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, and Form I 600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition.  While the change takes affect immediately, applicants have a 30-day transition period before USCIS will return incorrectly filed petitions.
 
Applicants were previously required to file at a local USCIS field office. This new mailing system will allow USCIS to process applications more efficiently by eliminating duplicative work, and maximizing staff productivity. Affective immediately, applicants in the United States, who are filing to adopt an orphan, must submit Forms I 600 (if required to file in the U.S.) & form I 600A, and all supporting documents and fees to the following address:

Regular Mail:
USCIS
P.O. Box 299027
Lewisville, TX 75029

Express Mail or Courier Service Deliveries: (FedEx, UPS, etc.)
USCIS
ATTN: Hague
2501 S. State Hwy 121 Business, Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067

USCIS will forward incorrectly-filed Forms I-600A and I-600, application fees and supporting documents to the Lewisville, Texas  facility for the  30 days, until Friday November 9, 2009. 
Families filing a Hague I-800a/ I-800 Application
Effective immediately, U.S. citizens seeking to adopt a foreign child under the Hague Adoption Convention must submit Forms I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, and I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, and all related supplements, forms, and fees to the USCIS lockbox facility located in Lewisville, Texas for initial processing, using the following address:

Regular Mail:
USCIS
P.O. Box 299008
Lewisville, TX 75029

Express Mail & Courier Service Deliveries (FedEx, UPS, etc.)
USCIS
ATTN: Hague
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business, Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067

Previously, applicants were required to file these forms at the Chicago Lockbox facility.  The Chicago Lockbox facility will forward any filings of Hague Adoption Convention forms to the Lewisville Lockbox facility for the first 30 days after the effective date of the change of filing location.  USCIS will consider applications or petitions forwarded from the Chicago Lockbox facility or other USCIS offices properly filed when received at the new Lewisville, Texas Lockbox facility.

After the 30-day transition period, USCIS will return any incorrectly filed applications to the sender.

Families Filing an Extension of their I-800A or Filing the Supplement 3 Form
When filing to request a change on a  previous approval or renewing a current I-800A approval, families must submit the I-800A Supplement 3 form to the new USCIS Dallas, TX lockbox facility.

Families Filing an I-600A Grandfathered Renewal or Free Extension
Families filing an I-600A free extension or a grandfathered renewal I-600A application will continue to file all applicable renewal documents with the local office which has jurisdiction over the family’s case. Families in this category will not send their renewal documents to the new Texas location.

Additional Information
Families can verify the instructions for their particular case by going to www.uscis.gov , clicking “Forms” and then “Adoption Forms” and reviewing the I-600A or I-800A instructions. These instructions have been updated and will provide complete details of how each form or renewal should be filed. Families are encouraged to check with their social worker prior to filing,  to confirm if there are any exceptions in the state in which they live.

America World's 2010 Calendar Contest and National Reunion

Time is running out!  There are only two weeks left until all pictures must be received for America World's Photo Calendar Contest, as well as for registering for America World's National Reunion. 

Don't wait until the last minute to try and participate in either of these wonderful events!

All photos for the 2010 Photo Calendar Contest must be received by Friday, October 16th.  All families must register for the National Reunion by Saturday, October 10th.

For further details on the 2010 Photo Calendar Contest, you can click on the following link, or copy and paste it into your web browser's address bar:  http://www.awaa.org/events/photocontest.aspx.  You may also email any questions to media@awaa.org or jason.west@awaa.org.

Similarly, for more information on our upcoming National Reunion, you can simply go to:  http://www.awaa.org/events/national-reunion-2009.aspx.  If you have any questions about this event, please feel free to email national.reunion@awaa.org or lisa.mcmillan@awaa.org.

We look forward to your participation in the Photo Contest as well as seeing you at the Reunion!

Annual AWA Photo Calendar Contest!

It is once again time for the much-anticipated Photo Calendar Contest! 

Submit your favorite pictures of your adopted child(ren) - limit of 5 submitted photos, per family - to media@awaa.org.  These can be pictures of your whole family, multiple family members, or just individual pictures of your children.  At the beginning of November, America World's corporate staff will vote on their top 13 favorite pictures.  The Grand Prize winner will be placed on the front cover of America World's 2010 Calendar and Runner-Ups will be placed on various months throughout the calendar.  All winners will also receive multiple free 2010 calendars as well as other gifts from America World.  All America World families, no matter what stage of the process they are in, will also receive one free 2010 calendar.

For further instructions and guidelines, visit our Annual Photo Calendar Contest page at http://www.awaa.org/events/photocontest.aspx.

This fun contest started on August 20th, but will end on Friday, October 16th - so don't wait until the last minute to submit your pictures!

AWAA Africa Family Reunion

Branson, MO
Labor Day weekend

We are thrilled to announce that 25 families attended the 1st annual AWAA Africa Family Reunion in Branson, MO over the Labor Day weekend!  What an incredible time of fellowship and celebrating together the miracle of adoption!  We started off the event with a special Meet & Greet at Payne Stewart Country Club.  Watching children reuniting with their friends from several Ethiopian orphanages and Transitional Home was a remarkable testimony of God's love and faithfulness.
We spent the weekend exploring the Ozarks... brunch, park fun, Branson show and a day at Silver Dollar City riding rides and connecting with new friends.

 

My personal highlight was holding again several of the children that had been waiting in Ethiopia for their new families.  At the time, they did not understand they were part of a big miracle God was preparing.  They are now home thriving, bonding, growing and loving their forever family.  Adoption is a gift from God!

We passed the reunion torch to the AWAA Nashville, TN families.  See you next year!!

Blessings,
Kari Gibson, Kelly Blackwell & Kim Gillman- Missouri hosts

Orphan Sunday!

Orphan Sunday 2009 - November 8th

Don’t Miss the Opportunity!

We’re thrilled to announce the official launch of the 2009 Orphan Sunday campaign!  November 8, 2009 is simply this:  a chance for Christians whose hearts burn for orphans to spread that fire to their church, community and friends.  This day is for you!

Join with individuals and groups across America and beyond, planning your own local Orphan Sunday activity.  From a sermon or prayer during Sunday services to a small group study or prayer gathering, from a concert to a recruiting event for an orphan-serving ministry.

At  the official Orphan Sunday Website you’ll find:
• Ideas for local Orphan Sunday events;
• Support materials you can download for free, from posters to study notes;
• A national map to add your local event and view others;
• Contact information for your state’s Orphan Sunday coordinator;
• And much more…

We also invite you to help spread the word.  Please forward this information to friends, highlight Orphan Sunday on your blog, and add the banner (below) to your website.

 

Each local Orphan Sunday event will be a candle lit to cast light on God’s call to “defend the cause of the fatherless.”  Together, they add up to a nationwide blaze.

Hamilton Family Featured in Knoxville Newspaper

 

University of Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton, and his wife Beth were recently featured in the Knoxville New Sentinel after adopting siblings from Ethiopia.  The Hamilton’s share how God brought this family of seven together through domestic and international adoption.  You can read their amazing story at http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/aug/23/ut-athletic-director-tells-how-he-and-his-wife-wer.

Your Church and the Orphan Workshop

Join us for Family Life’s Your Church and the Orphan workshop on October 3, 2009 at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, VA. We know from the Word that we are to plead the case of the orphan, the poor, needy and destitute. As the Lord opens our eyes to the millions of orphans around the world, but especially those in Africa due to the AIDS pandemic, we hope to affect a long-term solution of involvement among God’s people here in America through God’s means of grace such as this seminar. 

If you have not been to the Hope for Orphans website, please visit it (http://www.hopefororphans.org/Display.asp?Page=churchandorphan) to see the Ten Ways we can help the Orphan (it isn’t just adoption) and the seminar information/registration. If you have not watched it, please view a 14 minute promotional DVD: http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=e91ee405ae528cf582e1.  Family Life wants teams of 4-12 per church, each registering individually on their website. The event is $20 per person for the day (9a-4p) and does include lunch.  James 1:27