Have you ever wondered how the adoption process works in other countries? The Italian Forever Family of Jerak Robbins – now Francesco – recently sent a welcome update.
In Italy, a home study includes an interview with both a social worker and a psychologist. Then a judge determines the family’s suitability for adoption. Francesco’s family received approval in September 2009 and matched with the seven-year-old in the spring of 2011. They saw their first photo of him two weeks later and finally traveled to China in November to meet their new son.
Francesco had a blue backpack with him when he met his new family – a backpack full of memories from Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village (SFCV). Photos, drawings, and school notebooks made up most of it. His favorite friend at SFCV was Li Rei. An American family adopted Li Rei (now Philip) in 2012. He also remembers his English teacher and the many American visitors to Shepherd’s Field, who loved and played with the children. In 2015, Francesco’s mom, Cristina, finally found SFCV online, and was amazed to see all the photos – including many of Francesco – and see the love between all the kids. Francesco plays the flute, likes athletics, and loves to cook. He’s also a great big brother to Yalin, who was adopted from China in 2016. Your support of the Philip Hayden Foundation continues to give children like Francesco futures filled with love and hope.