Thank you very much for your commitment to our hosting program. You are about to embark on a journey that will change your life! In order to finalize your hosting file and to ensure protection of the hosted children, we need you to complete the enclosed application package. Please don’t procrastinate. It is critical that every item in this packet be completed as soon as possible in order for a child to come to the United States for the hosting program. In addition, it is critical you follow the specific instructions in this packet. Failure to do this could cause major delays and jeopardize a child’s chance to participate in the program.

New Horizons for Children (NHFC) works with several organizations to make the hosting program happen. In St. Petersburg, Russia, NHFC holds an exclusive agreement with the Ministry of Education through our Russian Christian hosting partner MIR (www.mir-russia.com). NHFC also holds an exclusive agreement with the Ministry of Families and Children in Riga, Latvia. With this agreement, we work through a private contract with an attorney to conduct all hosting related obligations in Latvia. In Guatemala, NHFC works directly with private orphanage directors since all orphanages in Guatemala are privately owned and operated. In the US, NHFC contracts with three adoption agencies who eventually handle all adoptions that result from the hosting program. More information about these adoption agencies can be found in the back of this package.

Now that you have decided to host, your first step is to fax/e-mail the on-line application, if you have not already done so. The full application included in this packet is very extensive. We understand that some of these questions may seem invasive or “overkill” to you. However, we collect the same information that would be collected if your family decided to adopt. This way you can be told now if you would qualify for adoption, should you make the decision later. You may not be planning to adopt and this is perfectly fine. Actually, only 20% of our hosting families plan to adopt prior to the child’s arrival, but more than 70% of host families end up deciding to adopt the child they host. This is not stated to pressure or scare you, but just to inform/prepare you in advance. Generally, the other children find adoptive families through neighbors, church members, and even extended family of the host family and referrals to our program. Therefore, the requirements for host families parallel the requirements for adoptive families. Should you choose to adopt, the items required for hosting and listed below will become part of your adoption file. Upon your written request, copies would be forwarded to the adoption agency you choose to use. All information submitted is maintained by New Horizons for Children, Inc. Please be assured that your files are held in the strictest of confidence.

Application Process

Host Application (form enclosed).

While this is a long and cumbersome form, we feel that we must do everything possible to ensure the safety and well-being of each child entrusted to the care of our host families.

Statement of Faith – one completed by each parent (form enclosed).
Fingerprint Cards* (please request cards from NHFC or go to www.fbi.gov and select More services on the left hand side of the website. Then select Request an FBI Identification Record or Rap sheet. Finally select Standard fingerprint form FD-258 and print them).
1. These are national FBI clearances. Complete two (2) cards for each adult 18 or older in the home, including baby sitters, nannies and other adults who live in your home or who take part in care giving. Fill out both cards completely, or you may find yourself with “denied” cards in about 4 weeks.
2. Take the cards to your local Police Department for fingerprinting.
3. Cards are to be sent by you to the address on the letter, along with the enclosed letter that all adults must sign,
4. Include a money order for $18 per adult.
5. Results may be returned to you, and if so, please forward those to us as soon as you receive them.
State Police/Criminal Clearances* – take your driver’s license to your local police department. The request must be made in person. (A wife cannot do this for her husband without him present). In GA, there is generally a fee of $15 per adult. Please check with Beverly in Orlando regarding specifics for Florida requests. Call Renee with any problems you encounter on this.
Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFACS) or Department of Children and Families (DCF) child abuse clearance*. This must be completed for each parent and all adults over 18 living in the home. You mail this directly to your county’s appropriate office – please do not mail it back to us. E-mail Renee or Beverly if you need an address. You must mark for the “purpose of adoption”, or they will not send results.

*Not all incidents identified on the above background checks will prohibit you from hosting, but may affect an adoption approval later. We need to be made aware of any criminal offense, no matter how old it may be, just to be prepared for a possible denial either for hosting or adoption. We all make mistakes, it’s just unfortunate that in the case of adoption, some things are not forgiven or overlooked by other countries like they would be in the USA.

Medical Clearance (form enclosed). You do not need to go to the doctor for this. It is a simple self-disclosure. (Adoption medicals are more extensive and require physicians).
References. A list of five (5) references with full mailing addresses (form enclosed). NHFC will send each one a list of questions to answer and return directly to our office with a self addressed stamped envelope. Let your references know to look for this and return ASAP. These references are only dealing with your family’s decision to host. Potential adoption is not mentioned.
Letter of Agreement signed by both parents, if a married couple.
Driver’s License Photocopy Make a photocopy of your driver’s license and mail them or scan and email to Renee. This information is needed for our approval forms that we send to the host countries. If your name or address is incorrect, please go to get a new one ASAP. Address must be your current home address. Some states allow this to be done online. Check with your Department of Transportation.
Family’s letter requesting to host a specific child with their legal name and birthday addressed to the Ministry of Education (if applicable) and specific orphanage director. This letter is not part of this package, but will be e-mailed to you later. You will need to simply print them out, sign them, and return to NHFC. Renee is a notary and will take care of notarizing things for you in GA that require apostilles for hosting.

Once all of the above information is received (with the exception of the letters to the orphanage directors), Renee or Le Ann will contact you regarding your family’s “safety visit” to your home. We contract with an agency to perform these home visits. The purpose is to ensure a safe home environment for the host children. This should be scheduled by November 1, 2006.

If you have an approved home study that is less than 1 year old, it can be submitted in lieu of many of the above requirements. Please call Le Ann or Renee.

Introduce your family to your host child

Each host family will create a welcome letter to introduce themselves to their hosted child(ren). This letter will be translated into the appropriate language for the child. Families need to collect photos to send to their hosted child(ren) as well. All photos need to be scanned onto TWO regular pieces of copy paper and attached to your letter.

Your family introduction letter should include:

· A brief introduction to your family;

· Names, ages, hobbies, & interests of family members;

· Briefly express your excitement about the child(ren) coming to your home;

· Do NOT FOCUS ON GIFTS or THINGS;

· Perhaps mention one or two things that you plan to do with the child;

· Please write only one page as we must pay to have the letters translated. Handwritten is ok, as long as it’s easy for the translator to read;

· Be creative. Decorate the paper with stickers, have young children color pictures. Make it fun! But, use regular weight/size paper, so it won’t add to our shipping cost;

Please include one of each of these in your family’s 2 photo pages:

· Family members including extended family that your hosted child will meet during this program;

· Your home: (front, backyard, bedroom for child, and other rooms that might be interesting to a child);

· All household pets, including the rats and snakes if you have such things; but, especially dogs and cats. Pose children with all animals if possible, to show they are harmless;

· Label each photo with simple words: Examples: “Host parents: Tom and Sue”, “Host family”, “Hosted child’s bedroom”, “Sarah’s bedroom” (assuming Sarah is a member of the host family), “Host family’s dog: Rover with Sarah”;

· Do NOT refer to yourselves in any form as “mom, dad, brother, sister, grandmother”. You should however, list: “Sarah’s grandmother, Robin”. This will be explained during the training session;

· Remember that the smallest of homes in America are typically mansions to those in the countries where we host children from. Try NOT to focus your photos to show size or “things”. If anything, downsize your house through the photos. For example, autos are especially interesting to the children, but have the family take a photo where the car is visible, instead of focusing on the car. The boys especially, like to see these things!

· If you are blessed with a real mansion, maybe send only a front entrance shot instead of a full frontal shot of the entire house. They will see everything when they arrive. The goal is not to impress, but comfort. Those left behind, especially some caregivers, as horrible as it sounds, tend to try and make negative comments to the children in order to somehow make themselves feel better. Money and things have devastating impacts upon some people. For many outside the US and Americans too, if they don’t have it, they try and criticize others who do.

DEADLINE FOR THIS IS OCTOBER 16, 2006.

Host Parent Training Session

Host Parent Training Sessions will take place in Atlanta and Orlando prior to the children’s arrival. Attendance in this training is mandatory unless you hosted in the last year. If you have hosted earlier than 2006, at least one parent must re-attend the host parent training session. There have been many important changes to our training class. We ask that if possible, both parents attend unless you are an out of town host; then one parent is acceptable if both are unable to attend. YOU CANNOT HOST WITHOUT THIS ATTENDANCE. We are planning to have our group meetings on a Saturday morning in November at locations that will be announced later. We need you to email Renee any Saturdays you cannot attend ASAP! We try our best to schedule dates most convenient for all participants. However, if you don’t tell us of conflicts, we can’t help avoid them. Prior to this meeting, you will receive a hosting manual complete with tips and resources to help you prepare for your hosting.

Hosting Program Fee Schedule

NHFC is a 501(c)3 IRS classified non-profit corporation. We issue receipts that allow all donations to be tax deductible. All money for hosting related purposes should be made payable to New Horizons for Children and are actual expenses related to bringing the children to the United States.

The following is the payment schedule for the program. The total fee for the hosting program is $1,900, unless you are hosting siblings and/or multiple children. The host fee for additional children is $1,800 per additional child. Certain fees, such as the home visit, are per family, not per child; therefore there is a cost reduction. If you joined in late, please catch up on all fees that are already due. We rely on these payments coming timely in order to proceed with preparation for the children’s arrival.

· 1^st Payment: $500 Application Fee per family, should have been sent at the time you submitted the on-line application;

· 2^nd Payment: $500 should be paid in full by March 31, 2007. We must pay the non-refundable deposit for airline tickets. Passports are also being processed in the other countries. Depending on how many children you are hosting, this amount will vary;

· 3^rd Payment: $500 should be paid in full by April 15, 2007. Visas are applied for and other payments are made on the group’s airline tickets;

· Final Payment: $400 should be paid in full by May 15, 2007. Airline tickets are paid in full and medical insurance is secured for the children and chaperones.

· All donations are used for the hosting program and are non-refundable. If you change your mind after sending in funds, or if a child is canceled due to illness or other reason beyond our control, no money can be refunded.

· If others want to make donations on your behalf, they MUST attach this note to their check:

“This is a donation to New Horizons for Children. We request that it be applied to (family’s name) if at all possible.”

This specific statement allows us to provide a receipt for tax deductible purposes. NHFC cannot issue a tax receipt if checks are made out to anyone besides NHFC.

· Please understand that if your family raises funds over the $1,900 mark, no refunds can be paid back to you personally.

· If you have any questions at all about the hosting fees, please contact Renee or Le Ann as soon as possible.

· Mail all hosting donations to: NHFC, 3950 Cobb Parkway, Ste 708, Acworth, GA 30101.

Breakdown of Hosting Fees:

Safety visit to your home $100

Foreign worker fee for preparation of each child’s papers $150

Translation of documents $15

Child’s passport fee $69

U.S. Visa $112

Apostilles for GA documents.. $9

Child’s airfare from Eastern Europe (Estimated)* $1000

Train/bus ticket to airport $60

Additional transportation $6

Medical insurance $40

Office & party supplies $10

American side translator fees $29

Portion of Chaperones’ insurance $15

Portion of Chaperones’ expenses $35

Portion of Chaperones’ airfare $150

Total $1,900 ($1,800 per siblings, with same family)

The children’s actual travel dates and flight arrangements are pending. Sometimes accepting flights one day later or earlier will offer a $500 cheaper airline ticket per person! So, the price will ultimately dictate the dates for the program. At the moment, we have space held on December 12, returning January, 12 for the Russian children and December 14, returning January 13 for the Latvian children. The Atlanta, Orlando and Dallas area hosting programs will operate simultaneously. Children will all travel to Atlanta, and then the Orlando and Dallas group will continue to their destination. Out of town families must meet their child in Atlanta.

You must sign the attached statement showing you understand and accept the no-refund policy. This document is needed immediately. There are no exceptions or NHFC can lose their non-profit status.

OUT OF PROGRAM/ OUT OF TOWN HOSTING FAMILIES:

· Must have a completed and approved home study to host. (Less than 18 months old).

· Must be interested, willing and able to adopt, should the child/family match be positive.

· Must have at least one parent attend either the Atlanta or Orlando host parent training class. Both are encouraged to attend.

· Must have at least one parent be at the Atlanta airport to meet the hosted child(ren).

· Should plan to stay at least one night at the beginning of the program in Atlanta and meet with a chaperone prior to departure to home city.

· Must send via email, photos and summaries once a week to Le Ann or Beverly to show chaperones during the program. THIS IS MANDATORY.

· Must allow hosted child to call chaperone at least every 3 days by telephone.

· At least one parent must return to Atlanta in time for the mandatory farewell party and stay locally to see the child off at the airport. The farewell party takes place 2 nights before their return flight home. We have host families who host “out of town host families”. If you are interested, please ask.

Finally, please prepare your own family and friends NOW to never refer to the “A” word, or speak at all about “Adoption”. Prepare your own children, especially, that this is not an adoption program, and not to ever ask the hosted child about being adopted or about staying in America. We will cover this in training, but wanted you to know now.

We look forward to working with you and helping these children find their “forever families”. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail the office.

Blessings,

Le Ann Dakake Renee McAlpin Katya Waldron (Russian)

Hosting Program Director Hosting Program Coordinator Hosting Program Translator

678-574-4677 ext. 1 678-574-4677 ext. 2 404-667-4208 cell

678-313-8321 cell 678-614-7099 cell

NHFC Contracted Adoption Agencies:

For Latvia, An Open Door Adoption Agency is our partner for adoptions. For Russia, Children of the World Adoption Agency is our partner for adoptions. These agencies pay a program fee back to NHFC for each adoption they handle. Without this program fee NHFC has no funding to cover our staff and overhead to continue the program. This program fee is incorporated into your adoption fees and in most cases has been mostly or completely absorbed by the adoption agency. It is paid by the adopting family to the agency of choice, once you’re accepted and you’ve made your decision to adopt, and your child is deemed clear and available. Your understanding is appreciated. These agencies have been selected through interviews and comparisons to other agency’s programs, but most of all their reputation is outstanding and references are exceptional in the countries where they are accredited to handle adoptions. We welcome your input regarding your experience with the agency you choose, if you choose to adopt.

An Open Door, which is a Christian adoption agency, is licensed in Georgia and accredited in both Latvia and Guatemala. The agency has successfully placed over 350 orphan children from Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia in many states and Canada. They hold a 501c3 non-profit status and only work with Christian families as a ministry to place orphans in a family where the children will have the opportunity and access to attend church and, hopefully, find salvation through Jesus Christ as their personal Lord.

Children of the World Adoption Agency is licensed in the state of New York and also accredited in Russia. They are licensed by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation and have been placing Russian born children for more than fourteen years. They have two programs in Russia: the city of Moscow and the city of St. Petersburg. The agency prides themselves on personal service. The families have unlimited access to their staff – day and night. Children of the World has professional, experienced Russian-English speaking staff who are constantly in contact with the Russian authorities, children’s institutions, courts, and the American Embassy in Moscow. They also have the legal expertise necessary to keep up with the changes in the Russian adoption laws.

Other Orphan/Adoption Information:

EASTERN EUROPE:

Nearly one million Caucasian children are abandoned in orphanages across the former Soviet Union. Many children are abandoned because of their parent's poverty in the economically depressed post-communist era. Others are truly orphans or have had parents' rights terminated for alcohol abuse, drug abuse, neglect, abandonment, criminal activity or child abuse. In every case, children are permanently released with no further recourse by birthparents. All foreign adoptions are finalized in the country before bringing the child to the United States. Both healthy children and those with minor special needs are available. Many of the special needs are developmental in nature and quickly disappear under the nurture and care of their new parents. Statistic in Russia: a woman averages 7 abortions in her lifetime. Their culture and environment is different from our own. It is one that you may never come to understand or accept. Just realize, we are very blessed to live in a free country and in a democracy. In Saint Petersburg alone, there are more street children than those living in orphanages. In Russia, it is estimated that 2000 children every year are murdered by their birth parents. It is estimated that there are over 700,000 orphans in Russia, but this is only counting the registered number living in orphanages.

IN CASE YOU DECIDE (or are interested) TO ADOPT:

Please note: many couples who host never intended or even considered adoption until they met their “son or daughter” through the hosting program. After that, life without their new found child was unimaginable. Be emotionally prepared and pray for God’s will for your family and these children. It may not be you at all… you may expect to adopt, but then realize you were not the intended adopting family. This is the reason behind hosting. Adoption is forever. Don’t rush into a decision, or make one without God leading the way.

The requirements of adoptive couples in most of Eastern Europe include:

· Both parents must be at least 25 years of age.

· A strong marriage must be apparent.

In Russia, a couple's age may not exceed the age of the child by more than 45 years, except for sibling groups and special needs children. With married couples, there should be at least 18 years difference between the child’s age and the youngest parent’s age. Some exceptions are made in Russia, but never in Latvia. Ask your adoption agency (listed at the beginning of this letter) about specific information pertaining to your situation and country. Things change!

· Some former Soviet republics have no upper age limit for adoptive parents.

· Single mother adoptions are permissible with some additional restrictions.

Hosting Application Process Checklist

Item	Date Completed	Notes
________________________	____________	_______________________________
On-Line Application (including family photo, copies of adult birth cert., marriage license)
1^st Payment $500 when child is selected
NHFC Full Application
Statements of Faith
FBI Fingerprint Cards
State Criminal Clearance
DFACS or DCF Clearance
Medical Clearance Form
Reference Form
Letter of Agreement
Driver’s License Photocopies
Letter to Orphanage Director(s)
Letter to Host Child(ren)
2 Pages Family Pictures
Home Visit Scheduled/Completed
Payment #2 $500 due March 31, 2007
Payment #3 $500 due April 15, 2007
Payment #4 $300 due May 15, 2007