Meeting foster families and other caregivers is often one of the most meaningful parts of your birth country journey. It is often a time filled with both anxiety and excitement. What will you say? What will you learn? What if there are awkward silences? Will she remember me? I want to tell her about my life and show her some … Read More
Belonging & Birth Country Travel
Belonging. It’s a basic human need. We all crave it, and many kids find it among their peers as they visit their birth country. Remember Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs theory? If you’re a little rusty on that, here are the Cliff Notes. Maslow held that people must have basic needs like food, water, safety, BELONGING and self esteem met … Read More
Podcast: Impact of Travel by Filipino Adoptee and Mom
Sally Ankerfelt and her son Elias, born in the Philippines, traveled to Elias’ birth country when he was 13, and again when he was 18 years old. Their first trip was with Filipino Ties. On the second trip, they worked with The Ties Program on an independent journey. In this podcast, Sally and Elias share amazing insight regarding homeland travel … Read More
Birth Country Travel: Language & Identity
Birth Country Travel: Language & Identity This is part 3 in a series on international adoption and identity. For most kids on a homeland journey, language and the ability to communicate is an immediate piece of how they see themselves. Very few are able to speak in their birth language. As a result, their first interaction with people in their … Read More