Latest News

Adoption Day held at Family Court

Hawaii International Child — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:34:29 +0000

Forty-two adoptions were finalized in Family Court on Friday, April 27, 2012! Check out the news story from KHON2!

Two Families Celebrate Chinese New Year With Arrival Of Adopted Children

Hawaii International Child — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Just in time to celebrate the Year of the Dragon - two Oahu families brought home their adopted children from China Saturday.

Read more about this heartwarming story: http://www.kitv.com/video/30270502/detail.html#ixzz1kJKINki4

17th Annual Lunar New Year's Celebration

Hawaii International Child — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Come see the Roaring Lion, Your HIC Ohana, and the Aerial Dancers at our upcoming Lunar New Year Celebration!

HIC is excited to welcome our Ohana to the HIC Annual Lunar New Year's Celebration this month at the Niu Valley Honolulu Waldorf School.

Sunday, January 29, 2012 from 11 AM to 2 PM at The Honolulu Waldorf School, 350 Ulua St., Honolulu, HI 96821

This year's event includes:

An HIC girl's Girl Scout Troop managing games and crafts for all ages
A bake sale
A traditional Chinese Lion Dance
Guest appearances by HIC Staffers, current and former!
Aerial dancers hanging from a tree, compliments of Samadhi Hawaii
And of course all your friends and family of the HIC Adoption Ohana
A suggested donation of $10 per family will be greatly appreciated and will help defray the costs of this event.

HIC Year of the Dragon t-shirts will be available for $15!

Bring your mats and picnic lunch.

Please RSVP at your convenience by emailing adopt@h-i-c.org.

We look forward to welcoming in the Year of the Dragon with you!

Adoptive Parent Training for Domestic Adoptions

Hawaii International Child — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

The HIC APT sessions are open to any HIC families, including families who may not be using HIC for adoptive placement, families who are not yet committed to a particular program, and families who have already adopted. The sessions fulfill the Hague parent training requirement and provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about adoption, probe your own thoughts and feelings about adoption and parenting, and get to know other HIC families.

This set of trainings will focus on issues surrounding domestic adoption.

Saturday, January 21
Saturday, January 28
Saturday, February 4

All sessions will start at 9 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m.
The cost is $250 per family.

Contact HIC at adopt@h-i-c.org if you would like to attend.

HIC's Annual Holiday Trolley Party

Hawaii International Child — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Join HIC and our festively festooned trolleys as they tour downtown Honolulu's city lights! In keeping with tradition - HIC will be taking photos of all children in front of the christmas tree for keepsake ornaments.

Reservations are required. Cost is $12 per person age five (5) and up. Children under five are free but must ride on laps. All refreshments will be provided.

Tuesday, December 6th & Wednesday, December 7th
Party: 5:45 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.
Trolley Rides: 6:00 & 7:00

Each year, some families self-organize to ride the trolleys with other families who have adopted from the same country. Suggested groups include, but are certainly not limited to:

Former Soviet countries & Philippines: Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.
Vietnam & Taiwan: Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.
Africa: Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
China: Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.

Please contact Kris at 589-2367 x207 or via email at kcastagnaro@h-i-c.org by Monday, November 28th to reserve your seats. Payment by cash, check, VISA or Mastercard.

Love knows no boundaries

Hawaii International Child — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Please join HIC’s Executive Director, Kristine Altwies, as she presents at Adoption 101 on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at the Valley Isle Fellowship (473 South High St. Wailuku) from 10 AM – 12 PM.

Please contact Danae Olaso at leileiolaso@msn.com or 808.264.1994. Many thanks to Danae for choosing adoption as her theme for her Baldwin High School Senior Project.

HIC Welcomes New HPU Interns

Hawaii International Child — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:59:00 +0000

Kat joined HIC in Fall 2011 as an intern working with Home Study cases and HIC's New Program Development. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from Boston University. Kat has experience working with children with special needs in a school setting as well as in the community. She is currently a student at Hawaii Pacific University in the Masters of Social Work Program.

Nancy joined the HIC team as an intern in August 2011 and will be taking part in the post placement program as well as the Search and Reunion program. She has graduated from the University of Idaho with a bachelor in Psychology and Child Development. She has experience with domestic violence and child mental health Issues. She is currently a student at Hawaii Pacifc University in the Masters of Social Work Program.

Jodi is one of HIC's newest interns. During her time here, she will work with HIC's Home Studies and Ka Makana programs. She is a graduate of Hawaii Baptist Academy and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Hawaii Pacific University. She is now back at HPU getting her Masters degree in Social Work.

Cindy joined HIC in Fall 2011 as an intern working with Home Study cases and HIC's China Program. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Cindy has experiences working with children with autism and special needs in the home setting as well as in the community. She is currently a student at Hawaii Pacific University in the Masters of Social Work Program.

Monica joined the HIC team as an intern in August 2011 and will be taking part in the post placement program as well as the Philippines program. She has graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a bachelor in Social Work, and continues to pursue a Masters degree in Social Work. She has experience with sexually abused youth in Hawaii, as well the homeless and mentally ill population. She is eager to begin her journey with the HIC team.

Family Life Cycle Issues in Transracial Adoption

Hawaii International Child — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:58:00 +0000

HIC is presenting a rare opportunity to hear internationally acclaimed psychologists and adoption experts Drs. Anne and David Brodzinsky. The talk is appropriate for everyone; professionals, all members of the adoptive family, parents considering adoption, etc. Drs. Brodzinsky are both dynamic and experienced speakers who are sure to entertain and enlighten!

Their talk, titled: "Family Life Cycle Issues in Transracial Adoption” is being sponsored by HIC on Tuesday, October 25, 2001 from 11:30 to 2:00 PM at Central Union Church, Parish Hall.

Brown bag lunch is provided and the cost is $15 for the event with lunch. RSVP is required and we only have 100 seats available.

Please spread the word!

To RSVP send a note to HIC – adopt@h-i-c.org with your name, contact telephone and number of people attending. You can pay at the door, send in a check, or call HIC with your credit card information in advance.

Life Cycle Issues in Transracial Adoption

Hawaii International Child — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:35:00 +0000

Tuesday, October 25
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Central Union Church

Nationally acclaimed adoption expert, Dr. David Brodzinsky, will present on Life Cycle Issues in Transracial Adoption. David Brodzinsky is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Foster Care Counseling Project at Rutgers University. He also maintains an active private practice serving the clinical needs of children and families, including individuals who are part of the adoption triad. Brodzinsky has written and lectured extensively in the fields of developmental and clinical psychology and is an internationally known expert in the field of adoption. He is co-author of such well-known books as, The Psychology of Adoption, Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self, and Children's Adjustment to Adoption: Developmental and Clinical Issues.

Details coming soon!

Welcome Jennifer Kwok!

Hawaii International Child — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:33:00 +0000

Jennifer is a Licensed Social Worker with a Master of Science in Social Work degree from Columbia University. Jennifer interned at the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, assisting with research involving adoption identity, before becoming an international adoption social worker at Spence-Chapin Services in New York. She has experience with all members of the adoption triad and feels privileged to work with staff committed to children around the world.