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Lynbrook family to adopt three
When John and Debbie Emmerich decided to take a Russian child into their Lynbrook home this summer through a program called Kidsave, they got three times what they bargained for: two girls and a boy.
Now, after a desperate search to find a loving household willing to adopt the three orphan siblings, the Emmerich family members have decided to take on that challenge themselves.
The family cannot afford the $26,000 needed to adopt all three siblings, whom Kidsave will not separate as a matter of policy. The Emmeriches, who also wish to keep the children together, are now struggling to cover the adoption fees.
"We thought it was the right thing to do," John said of his family's decision. "When there's a will, there's a way. We plan to seek grants and financial assistance to help us complete the adoption process."
The Vasiliyev children -- Tanya, 10, Val, 9, and Steven, 7 --were born in the eastern Russia city of Tomsk, and later brought to Asinovo Orphanage in a nearby suburb. Sonia Baxter, the Emmeriches' Pittsburgh-based adoption coordinator, could not discuss the fate of the children's natural parents, citing confidentiality.
The Emmeriches, who have two children of their own, decided to become a host family after a friend, Colleen Reibel, opened her home to a Russian boy last summer through Kidsave International. Reibel later adopted the little boy.
"We thought that was a beautiful thing to do for a child," said John Emmerich, who teaches at BOCES Baldwin. Reibel put them in touch with Kidsave, which runs the Summer Miracles child-visitation program in hopes of ending the institutionalization of abandoned children by finding families for them.
Debbie Emmerich, a part-time teacher at the Rockville Centre Recreation Center, felt a strong connection with the program.
"My mother, Anne Linkner of Rockville Centre, was a refugee from Latvia, Russia," Debbie said.
Reibel later called the Emmeriches when she learned of the three siblings, and the couple downloaded a picture of the children from the Internet.
"At first, we said no, because taking in more than two can be difficult," Debbie said. "But when we saw no one was taking them, we said yes. The larger the sibling group, the more difficult it is to find them a host family. "
Through Kidsave's Summer Miracles program, children from Russia and Eastern Europe travel to the United States and Canada if acceptable families cannot be found in their homeland. Once in North America, the children live with families and attend local day camps. Program officials say participation increases the chance of successful adoption, particularly for older children.
After traveling more than 24 hours from Moscow, the Vasiliyev siblings arrived July 18 at John F. Kennedy Airport, where John and Debbie waited with nervous anticipation. The couple brought Debbie's mother, who translated the children's Russian to English. The three children traveled the final leg of their journey to the family's Abrams Place home, where they met MaryKate, 9, and Johnny, 7.
"They immediately became part of our family, attended camp with our kids, took swimming lessons at the beach, and fit in beautifully," said Debbie. "They capture the hearts of people they meet, and they blend so well with our children, who are also blonde, that passers-by really believe we are one big family."
The eldest of the three siblings, Tanya, has found an interest in an All-American pastime -- shopping -- and has recently picked up photography as a hobby. She also keeps a journal, and has created her own Russian-English translation dictionary.
Val loves to play house, and plays with Barbie dolls. She and Steven have both shown athletic ability and developed interests in swimming, biking, kickball and baseball.
The Emmeriches will now begin their adoption process, which is expected to continue for at least two months after the children return to Russia from their summer stay. The children will depart Aug. 26.
Baxter said home-study documentation, immigration approval and police clearance paperwork must be filed by Oct. 1 to expedite the adoption process, which can otherwise become delayed over the course of the Russian winter.
If you or someone you know would like to assist in the adoption of Tanya, Val and Steven, please contact the family at 516-593-7820, or e-mail Emmerich88@juno.com. For more information about the Kidsave program, visit the Web site at www.kidsave.org.
When John and Debbie Emmerich decided to take a Russian child into their Lynbrook home this summer through a program called Kidsave, they got three times what they bargained for: two girls and a boy.
Now, after a desperate search to find a loving household willing to adopt the three orphan siblings, the Emmerich family members have decided to take on that challenge themselves.
The family cannot afford the $26,000 needed to adopt all three siblings, whom Kidsave will not separate as a matter of policy. The Emmeriches, who also wish to keep the children together, are now struggling to cover the adoption fees.
"We thought it was the right thing to do," John said of his family's decision. "When there's a will, there's a way. We plan to seek grants and financial assistance to help us complete the adoption process."
The Vasiliyev children -- Tanya, 10, Val, 9, and Steven, 7 --were born in the eastern Russia city of Tomsk, and later brought to Asinovo Orphanage in a nearby suburb. Sonia Baxter, the Emmeriches' Pittsburgh-based adoption coordinator, could not discuss the fate of the children's natural parents, citing confidentiality.
The Emmeriches, who have two children of their own, decided to become a host family after a friend, Colleen Reibel, opened her home to a Russian boy last summer through Kidsave International. Reibel later adopted the little boy.
"We thought that was a beautiful thing to do for a child," said John Emmerich, who teaches at BOCES Baldwin. Reibel put them in touch with Kidsave, which runs the Summer Miracles child-visitation program in hopes of ending the institutionalization of abandoned children by finding families for them.
Debbie Emmerich, a part-time teacher at the Rockville Centre Recreation Center, felt a strong connection with the program.
"My mother, Anne Linkner of Rockville Centre, was a refugee from Latvia, Russia," Debbie said.
Reibel later called the Emmeriches when she learned of the three siblings, and the couple downloaded a picture of the children from the Internet.
"At first, we said no, because taking in more than two can be difficult," Debbie said. "But when we saw no one was taking them, we said yes. The larger the sibling group, the more difficult it is to find them a host family. "
Through Kidsave's Summer Miracles program, children from Russia and Eastern Europe travel to the United States and Canada if acceptable families cannot be found in their homeland. Once in North America, the children live with families and attend local day camps. Program officials say participation increases the chance of successful adoption, particularly for older children.
After traveling more than 24 hours from Moscow, the Vasiliyev siblings arrived July 18 at John F. Kennedy Airport, where John and Debbie waited with nervous anticipation. The couple brought Debbie's mother, who translated the children's Russian to English. The three children traveled the final leg of their journey to the family's Abrams Place home, where they met MaryKate, 9, and Johnny, 7.
"They immediately became part of our family, attended camp with our kids, took swimming lessons at the beach, and fit in beautifully," said Debbie. "They capture the hearts of people they meet, and they blend so well with our children, who are also blonde, that passers-by really believe we are one big family."
The eldest of the three siblings, Tanya, has found an interest in an All-American pastime -- shopping -- and has recently picked up photography as a hobby. She also keeps a journal, and has created her own Russian-English translation dictionary.
Val loves to play house, and plays with Barbie dolls. She and Steven have both shown athletic ability and developed interests in swimming, biking, kickball and baseball.
The Emmeriches will now begin their adoption process, which is expected to continue for at least two months after the children return to Russia from their summer stay. The children will depart Aug. 26.
Baxter said home-study documentation, immigration approval and police clearance paperwork must be filed by Oct. 1 to expedite the adoption process, which can otherwise become delayed over the course of the Russian winter.
If you or someone you know would like to assist in the adoption of Tanya, Val and Steven, please contact the family at 516-593-7820, or e-mail Emmerich88@juno.com. For more information about the Kidsave program, visit the Web site at www.kidsave.org.
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