New adoption program coming to Colorado

WELD COUNTY - Clarke and Kris Stoesz were living the American dream.

The Weld County couple had a beautiful home with two great children, Amanda and Alex.

As the brother and sister were growing up, Kris (kstoesz@aol.com) said she wasn't ready to become an empty-nester, she wanted more children.

Through some soul searching, the couple decided to adopt.

Three years ago, Alex, now 15, said the parents sat them down at the dinner table one night and laid out a plan.

"When I first heard it, I was mad beyond all belief," he said. "I thought our family was perfect already. Why do we need another child to it? Probably a week later, after thinking about it and soaking it all in, I loved the idea and just helping an orphan from a different country."

When three-year-old Natalie arrived from Ukraine with her new parents, Alex instantly fell in love.

"She was just adorable," he said.

But still, Kris Stoesz wanted more children.

"Since Natalie was such a wonderful experience, with her being so much younger, she was three, we really wanted to have siblings for her to be able to play with."

A year ago, the family adopted two more orphans from Urkaine, Raya, now ten, and Luke, eight-years-old.

The two didn't have it easy. Before they ended up at the orphanage, Raya said she was begging for money on the streets. She says strangers often pushed her away.

Today, she speaks no Russian, just English.

"My mommy wasn't taking care of me," she said. "I just (had to) go somewhere and ask people for something. They said go away, I don't want you to be here."

Through all her trials, Raya had a dream.

"I wish I had a family," she said.

Now she has it all.

"Life is better, everything is nice," Raya said, "I have everything."

"People always say you guys are so wonderful for doing that," said Kris. "It's not about Clarke and I. It's about those kids bringing blessings to our family, showing us what it's all about."

The Stoeszes say they want help more children, so they decided to get involved in a new program that will give future adoptive parents an opportunity to meet the children without going overseas and without paying any adoption fees upfront.

An organization called Advocate for Orphans International is bringing a group of orphans from Ukraine to the Denver area for two weeks in mid October.

Fifteen to twenty children from 6 to 12-years-old will stay with host families.

"The parents here in Colorado will have an opportunity to say we'd like a boy and a girl, sibling, this age, this age and they'll try to match as best as possible depending on the orphanage," said Kris.

The cost is $50 for a background check, plus food and clothing for the children during their two-week stay.

According to Kris, this will give families a chance to get to know the children.

Aimee Garrett (aimeegarrett@comcast.net) is a Colorado volunteer for the California-based program.

"You just fall in love with the kids, even though you can't really communicate with them very well," said Garrett.

"They'll go to a day camp, that's going take place at a church in Longmont. We teach them some English, do some stories, song and dance kind of things, what American kids would do in pre-school, summer camp-type settings, play games with them."

In addition to a background check, a free home study will be done.

According to Garrett, after the stay, the children will have to go back to Ukraine, but if families develop a relationship with the children they're hosting they can start the adoption process, where the adoption fees will apply.

Since the start of the hosting program in 2002, more than 135 children have visited the U.S. nearly 110 children have been adopted.

Stoesz said she realized adoption is not for everyone.

"When you adopt, you just have to be faithful that it's gonna work out. I know people are concerned about older kids that they might have issues, we all have issues. You just have to learn to work with it."

As for adopting any more, the Stoeszes say their family is perfect just as it is now.