The following story was written by one of Gladney Center for Adoption's great families. We are so happy to see Kai learning and growing and happy with his family!
Our four year journey to adoption took us to some dead ends and on a few very sharp curves but here we are, making it official in July 2014, with our son Kai!
We have two biological kids, Cody age 7 and Kelby age 5, and “planned” to adopt a younger child. However, in the summer of 2013 Superkids met Kai in China and shortly after that we heard his story and knew that it was God’s plan for Kai to join our family. Once we made the decision and moved forward things went amazingly smoothly and before we knew it we were on the way to China to meet Kai.
Adopting an older child is scary in its own way, do you hug him when you meet? Will he want to call us mom and dad? How will we communicate? Somehow we made it through those fist few crazy weeks in China. Kai knew almost no English, he could only say “apple” (Thanks, Steve Jobs) and “Oh my God” (Thanks pop culture). The first few weeks we were home we couldn’t believe how often we went somewhere and ran into someone who spoke Mandarin and could speak to Kai, dramatically helping his transition. He started learning English quickly and then our exchange student from Beijing, Bridge, moved in and became our amazing live in translator.
Kai started 5th grade at a private school less than three weeks after coming home. It was very hard for him but he is amazingly light hearted and as the months have gone on he has been able to become more and more integrated with his classmates. Since he came home, Kai has learned to tie his shoes, ride a bike, swim, share, take turns, play on a soccer team, and use American table manners. All while learning English!
He can almost read in English, he is great at math and he loves art class. He is such a cheerful person and we can see his resilient spirit every day. He had so much fun experiencing the holidays from Halloween to Christmas. In January he celebrated his first ever birthday party!
We are excited to see what is in store for Kai!
The Gladney Center for Adoption is a long-established, Hague-accredited adoption agency with more than 135 years of experience in creating bright futures for children and families. Gladney’s international adoption program offers families across the United States the opportunity to adopt children from around the world, with active programs in countries such as Bulgaria, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, India, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The agency is deeply committed to ethical and transparent adoption practices that prioritize the best interests of each child. Gladney’s international program focuses on “waiting children”—those who are legally free for adoption but may be older, part of a sibling group, or have identified medical or developmental needs. Families who work with Gladney receive comprehensive support throughout every stage of the process, including pre-adoption education and training, home study and dossier preparation, coordination with foreign partners, travel guidance, and post-adoption services. With a dedicated team of professionals and strong relationships with child welfare authorities abroad, Gladney ensures that each adoption is handled with compassion, integrity, and excellence. Families who partner with Gladney become part of a lifelong community, supported well beyond placement as they help their children thrive in their new homes and embrace their cultural heritage.
