By Debbie Cohen | Director of Donor Communications
Huanhuan was a quiet and withdrawn child until she entered OneSky’s Loving Families Program and felt the love of her OneSky foster mother. After a year of responsive care in her new family, Huanhuan is now thriving!
We know that children thrive when surrounded by the love of family-like care.
In China, our pioneering Loving Families Program provides institutionalized children like Huanhuan a home within a more traditional family unit.
Caring couples from the community are trained and supported to become “Mama” and “Baba” to up to five children with special needs, providing them with the love and stability that helps them thrive.
Xiaojuan is one of our courageous OneSky-trained Loving Families foster moms who, along with the thousands of other caregivers OneSky has trained across Asia, are changing the trajectories of young lives and have taught us that, with consistent love and responsive care, every child can thrive.
For Huanhuan, born with a rare brain abnormality, her foster mom’s love has made all the difference. “Huanhuan is the ‘little princess’ in the family” beams Xiaojuan. “Every day she runs into my arms and says, ‘Mom, hug,’ and of course I always do!”
Living in a family-like setting with foster siblings has helped Huanhuan learn to express herself with other children as well. “She now loves to play with other children and can express her emotions to the fullest. Whenever she sees me, Huanhuan shows a proud smile,” says Xiaojuan.
Just like other moms around the world, Xiaojuan picks the children up from preschool, takes them to medical appointments, prepares dinner, and holds them when they cry. When times get stressful, as they do in all families, she can turn to her OneSky mentor for parenting support and advice.
Xiaojuan has learned that the best gift she can give children who have had a difficult start in life is the love of family: “I want to instill love in them and teach them to love others. That’s my goal.”
Thank you for your continued support of our Loving Families Program! For more information about specific sponsorship opportunities, go here.
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