Gladney Blog

Hayden is only 1 year old and is an incredibly adorable baby boy. Just look at that little grin! Melt.my.heart into a puddle on the floor.

Things have been a little quiet here this week and with good reason. We all converged in the Big Apple to talk about and strategize all things Superkids and Gladney China and Taiwan program related. Lindsay came from Illinois and Mary and Erin came from Pennsylvania.

Today we are introducing you to two very young children. They have several things in common, they are both 2 (Kevin is close to 3), they are both as cute as buttons, they both have treated hydrocephalus, and they both seem to be dong great developmentally. These children are from different orphanages and are not siblings.

As many of you know, Superkids took a trip to Taiwan in April. This was the 4th time we have been able to visit our partnership agencies there. We have met so many adorable little ones and older ones on these trips!

1. The Adoption Department receives around 5,000 inquiries each year from those interested in adopting. Are you interested in starting your adoption journey?        
2. In April 2002, this Gladney flag was part of the Official Flight Kit for STS-110 – the thirteenth space shuttle flight to the International Space Station. Visitors to Gladney’s Fort Worth Campus can view the flag close to Mabee Hall.
3. Gladney went on-line in December, 1995, one of the first adoption agencies in the country to do so.
4. Dr. William Pierce established the National Committee For Adoption’s (now National Council for Adoption) first office in Washington, DC – named the Ruby Lee Piester Center for Adoption – to educate policymakers on adoption.
5. The average age of birth mothers today is 24-26. Read Muthoni’s adoption story.
6. The Gladney campus on Hemphill Street was built around the original West Texas Maternity Hospital, which was located between the health clinic (formerly Duncan Memorial Hospital) and the Nina B. Reese Counseling Center.
7. The movie Blossoms in the Dust premiered at the Worth Theater in Fort Worth on July 18, 1941. The theater was highly decorated in pink and white gladiolas in honor of Edna and Sam Gladney. MGM was said to have purchased every gladiola in the state of Texas for the event!
8. Mrs. Gladney’s famous argument on removing the stigma of illegitimacy from birth records before the Legislature: "There are no illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents."
9. In January of 1963, the Gladney Home was selected by the University of Texas Graduate School of Social Work as a field placement raining agency for graduate students. Are you interested in interning at Gladney? Find out about open opportunities.
10. In addition to being Hague Accredited, Gladney is one of the few agencies that offer Hague approved training for adoptive parents. The Hague Convention stipulates that families who are adopting internationally must have ten clock hours of training covering specific topics. Gladney has incorporated all specified topics in the Hague trainings which are available online.

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Several people have recently asked me about what they can do to help retain the Adoption Tax Credit (ATC).  The best site to connect with is adoptiontaxcredit.org and then contact their U.S. Senator or Representative. 

Edited to add more recent pictures and a video!