Bridge of Hope | Cradle of Hope Adoption Center

Bridge of Hope 2007 plans to bring children to Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Mid-Hudson and Long Island, New York, Washington, D.C. and the Midwest (based in Chicago).

We are open to expanding Bridge of Hope into new areas. If you would like to start a new program in your area, e-mail us, call our office at (301) 587-4400.

Here are the guidelines for starting a Bridge of Hope program in a new city:

Thank you for your interest in our Bridge of Hope summer camp program for older Russian orphan children. As you may already know, the program is exciting and challenging and truly gratifying. There is a great deal of planning and coordinating involved, but the rewards of children finding families are priceless.

Volunteering for the program is truly a "labor of love." We rely heavily on the support of families and volunteers who believe in the mission and objectives of this program. Local adoptive parent support groups, such as FRUA and APC, and past Cradle of Hope and Bridge of Hope families can be excellent sources of support for many of the tasks involved.

For Bridge of Hope 2007, our challenge is to bring 75 children to the United States to stay with host families and attend day camp. We are committed to keeping the children in touch with each other during the summer, and we cannot supervise individual children all over the country. Therefore, to consider a new program area we have to have a coordinator(s) and at least 10 families interested in hosting. In addition, the coordinator has to have the enthusiasm and time to dedicate to the program and the desire to support the Cradle of Hope mission and goals. The Bridge of Hope Director will, of course, work with the team throughout the process.

In considering whether we can expand to bring children to your area, the following is a detailed list of the tasks we must accomplish to have another successful program area:

Form a coordinating committee of at least six to 10 volunteers, who will be responsible for the completion of all components of the program. Once this team is in place the rest will be easier.
Set goals and a timetable which correspond to and support the Bridge of Hope schedule and the Cradle of Hope mission and goals.
Plan, organize and implement a fundraising campaign to raise at least $2,500 for each child who participates in the program. Fundraising can be accomplished through mass mailings, church or civic groups, candy sales, special events, appeals for sponsorship of individual children by individuals, companies or foundations, etc. Funds must be raised prior to 3/1/07.
Work with BOH director to write and implement media outreach plan before and during the children's visit.
Recruit local host families who are willing to provide room and board for a Russian camper. Host families should be open to individual children or sibling groups of either gender between 6 and 11 years of age. Host families interested in adopting are preferred, as are experienced parents with children already in the home.
Locate dentists and doctors who are willing to provide free services when the children arrive. Children may need brief physicals or immunizations in order to enroll in camp. Doctors will be needed to treat common colds, poison ivy, ear infections, etc. Insurance will be provided to cover major medical illnesses, accidents, and hospitalizations.
Locate at least three translators to provide support to host families both before and after the children arrive.
Solicit scholarships for day camp programs for BOH participants for approximately one month. Camps with Russian speaking campers or counselors are preferred.
Organize two to three weekend events where BOH children, potential adoptive families and host families can get together, such as a pool party, zoo visit, farewell picnic, etc.
Organize local meetings for host families before the children arrive, including a host family recruitment meeting, a parenting class and an orientation meeting. Our staff will assist with presentations.
Arrange local transportation of the children when they arrive and depart from the airport. Roundtrip transportation from New York or Washington, D.C., to your city may be needed.
Prepare "goodie bags" for the children's arrival day, which include small toys, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and one set of clean clothing. Try to get a local church or social service group (Girl Scouts, Kiwanis, Lions, etc.) to donate these items.
Serve as a liaison with the Bridge of Hope program director to help facilitate communication with host families, professional volunteers and potential adoptive couples.
Organize a feedback session with host families once the children have returned to Russia.
Maintain ongoing contact with Cradle of Hope at the program's conclusion to help place any children who have yet to find homes.
Consider ways to perpetuate the program.

Cradle of Hope and Bridge of Hope will provide for the local team:

Overall organizational support.
Help with grant writing and written materials for fundraising projects and media outreach.
Document preparation.
Staff liaison to answer any questions and provide information.
Maintenance of host family files, collection of appropriate paperwork for the application process, as well as interviews of host families and selection of final host family participation.
Social work support to all host families before, during and after the program.
Arrangements for the selection of children and travel logistics to the United States and back home.
Matching of children with host families.
Staff support for orientation meetings, social events, and emergencies.

We hope you will become an active member of this exciting camp program. We owe our continued success to our volunteers and local coordinators. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us or call the Cradle of Hope office at (301) 587-4400. Thank you very much for your interest in improving the lives of older orphaned children in Russia.