Hosting Options and Information
What is a hosting program?
Hosting programs are a wonderful opportunity to welcome a child into your home. Angels' Haven helps to bring children here from Ukraine for both Christmas and summer programs. The purpose of this hosting program is for both the host family and the child being hosted to learn more about one another. Typically, children come in the summer or holiday months and stay in your home for 3-6 weeks.
Who are the children?
Children who participate in hosting programs are normally girls and boys between the ages of 5 and 15.
- It is estimated that there are between 143 million and 210 million orphans worldwide
- The current population of the United States is just a little over 300 million (The current population of Russia is 141 million)
- Every day 5,760 more children become orphans
- 2,102,400 more children become orphans every year in Africa alone
- Every 15 seconds, another child in Africa becomes an AIDS orphan
- There are an estimated 14 million AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa
- This figure is estimated to reach 18 million orphans in Africa alone by 2010
- 8 out of 10 children orphaned by AIDS lives in sub-saharan Africa
- Approximately 250,000 children are adopted annually, but…
- Each year 14, 505, 000 children are growing up as orphans
- Each day 38,493 orphans age out of the orphanage system
- Every 2.2 seconds another orphan ages out of their orphanage with no family to go to and no place to call home
- In Russia and the Ukraine studies have shown that 10% – 15% of these children commit suicide before they reach age eighteen
- These same studies also show that 60% of the girls become prostitutes and 70% of the boys become hardened criminals
- Another Russian study reports that of the 15,000 orphans aging out of state-run institutions every year:
- 10% of these orphans committed suicide, 5,000 were unemployed, 6,000 were homeless and 3,000 were in prison within three years
Statistics Courtesy of the Home For Good Foundation (www.hfgf.org)
What happens to orphans who aren’t adopted?
According to KidSave, Inc., the longer children live in institutions or foster homes without a stable, loving adult, the bleaker their future becomes:
Infants lacking touch, stimulation, and nurturance fail to thrive resulting in physical, emotional, and intellectual impairments, or even death. Lack of coordination, hyperactivity, developmental delays, language impairment, and attachment difficulties will follow them throughout life;
Toddlers and school-age children experiencing abuse, abandonment, or neglect fail to develop a crucial sense of trust and safety, causing impairments in their ability to form and maintain relationships as adults. The toll emotionally on these precious children manifests itself in their behavior, many times causing teachers to label them as “problem children” and following them throughout school.
What are the costs associated with hosting a child?
Hosting organizations usually charge fees between $2,500 - $3,500. This money is used to pay for plane tickets, visas, passports, travel insurance, and health insurance for the hosted child, as well as part of the cost of the guardians tickets and necessities.