Gladney Blog

Your gift today offers hope and healing for children, families, and birth parents.  I’m inspired by how far Gladney has come in 136 years, thanks to loyal supporters like you. And now we’re expanding our work to meet the needs of our clients, all while staying true to our steadfast belief: every child deserves a loving and caring family. 

I wish we could sit down for a cup of coffee with every supporter and Gladney family, so I could share all the exciting things happening at Gladney. I’d like to use this blog to update you on how our work is expanding.  

Natalie is a curious little 4 year old girl who is described as smiley and affectionate. She wanted to see everything we had with us when we met her in Taiwan last month. She would crawl from one item to the next exploring.

Hayley and John felt led to adopt siblings, under the age of twelve, from foster care.  They weren’t swayed in their efforts, even after experiencing some challenges.  While attending an event to meet children who were available for adoption, Hayley and John noticed a tall teenage girl with bright green hair approach a boy who sat all alone on the playground.  

Kellet is a little 8 year old boy whom we met for the first time in person when we were in Taiwan earlier this month. He is described as energetic but a little shy with strangers. We saw that with him, then we also saw the energetic and silly side once he warmed up. Meeting him was truly delightful.

Oh my! What a little sweetheart! Jessica is a darling 18 month old baby girl we met while we were in Taiwan earlier this month. She is described as calm and quiet. That is, until she wants to be held, then she will use her voice and cry to let you know what she wants. She is easy to soothe when she is upset. She just likes to be cuddled. And if that isn’t adorable I don’t know what is.

Sweet, sweet Jianna! We all enjoyed our time with her so much. She is just precious. She is 9 years old. She has global delays and is tiny for her age, so she seems younger than 9.

This past week has been made up of forms, forms, and more forms. Don't get me wrong, I love paperwork and filing, it is what I am good at. Even so, finding the right forms to request a child abuse clearance in not easy when the state alters requirements every six months without notice. As a result of a sudden change, I uncovered a policy issue that can only be described as bad.

Samuel is a little almost 6 year old boy who was our block-stacking champion! He built a tower 16 blocks high. Every puzzle or matching challenge we gave him he did quickly and meticulously. And when we asked if it was hard or easy for him he said, “Easy!” Every time.