Jewish Family Services of Greenwich and Cradle of Hope Adoption Center to host seminar for families considering international adoption

The future holds few surprises for the 15,000 Russian teenagers who will age out of their orphanages in 2005. About 5,000 will be unemployed, 6,000 will be homeless, 3,000 will resort to criminal activity and 1,500 will commit suicide, according to a report released by the omission for Children at Risk in 2002. Roughly half the girls will be forced into prostitution.
But an orphan’s future is not written in stone. Cradle of Hope Adoption Center and the Jewish Family Services of Greenwich Adoption Connection are currently seeking families interested in providing a permanent home for children from Russia, China and Guatemala. Potential adoptive families can attend an international adoption information seminar on Wednesday, June 8, at the Jewish Family Services office, located at 1 Holly Hill Lane in Greenwich. Attendees will have the chance to meet families who have recently adopted, discuss how to begin the adoption process and learn about opportunities in Russia, China and Guatemala. For more information about international adoption or to speak with a family about their experience, please contact Jennifer Samuels at (301) 587-4400 or e-mail jsamuels@cradlehopeorg.
For directions and/or information regarding Jewish Family Services of Greenwich Adoption Connection program, please contact Steve Baranowski at (203) 622-1881 or at sbaranowski@jfsgreenwich.org
Cradle of Hope Adoption Center is a nonprofit international adoption agency in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Now in its 14th year, the agency has placed more than 2,500 children from Eastern Europe, Latin America and China. Cradle of Hope also sponsors Bridge of Hope, a summer program that brings Russian orphans ages 6 to 11 to the United States for a month-long stay with a family.