Coalition for Children at Risk
The Coalition for Children at Risk met in our flat this morning...for three hours! The group was initially formed so that people, agencies, missions, or whoever could come together for the common good of the children at risk. With numbers, the thought was, came clout. The hope was to be able to transform the government system, easing the bureaucracy so that street children, orphans, abused children could get real help.
Jim and I were part of the initial group that first met in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000. Once we arrived in Kyiv in 2001, we stayed in touch with the group and eventually someone decided to gather the folks in the Kyiv area so that we could begin networking and encouraging. There has been some progress over the years, but there is still a LOT to be done.
Today we had a guest speaker for the first 30 minutes -- a lawyer who has SUCCESSFULLY placed Ukrainian children under the guardianship of a British couple. As most of you know, we are trying to get our hands on a young boy that we first met when he was hospitalized. His mother was HIV+, so he was waiting until age 18 months to see if he, too, would test positive. He came back negative and is currently in an orphanage. This attorney helped us understand the procedures a little better...and was VERY encouraging. He managed to work through the system to place children in a foreigner's home. That's good news for us.
We will relentlessly pursue this little guy until all doors are closed. Please pray for him. And us.
