Among a child’s most basic needs are food, shelter and — perhaps most powerful and, for some, most elusive — a sense of belonging.
Those who have not grown up in the foster care system or in an orphanage may well take the concept of “home” for granted. Not so for the children served by Kidsave, a 501(c)(3) public charity in Culver City that believes every child needs a family. Kidsave’s mission is to ensure that no orphan or foster child is forgotten and that every child grows up in a family with love and hope for a successful future. Kidsave’s Miracles programs demonstrate that there is a family for almost every child.
Through Weekend Miracles, Kidsave works with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services to identify older children without family connections. Children and adults are introduced at monthly activies. After children are matched with host families, they spend weekends together, with the host families providing ongoing advocacy and mentoring.
Summer Miracles, now in progress, brings older orphaned children to the U.S. to enjoy a five-week summer visit with families, who volunteer to host them in their homes and give them a chance to experience life in a family. These are older children, ages 7-14, with little or no chance of finding adoptive parents in their own country. Since 1999, more than 1,600 children have found permanent homes through this program.
There are currently 44 Colombian children visiting with families in six communities across the U.S. Eight of the children are in Southern California. They arrived July 1 and will stay until Aug. 5.
Kidsave has scheduled various events at different venues on July 17, 24 and 31, so that families interested in adoption can meet these children.
Lauren Reicher-Gordon, director of both Summer Miracles and Weekend Miracles, told the News that “some of the children here live in orphanages and others in foster care. None are permanent, and for us, it’s not OK for children to grow up without parents. For most of these children, Summer Miracles will be their only chance to find an adoptive family.”
For more information, go to www.kidsave.org, email renae@kidsave.org or call Lauren Reicher-Gordon at 888-KIDSAVE.
