My Babies

Many of my posts have been about the girls at Haven, but here is one about the babies.

We have about 42 children receiving services from our center with about 30 children being sheltered in our center and the others placed in short-term or long term foster families. So far 10 of the children have been matched with families through inter-country adoption and now await departure pending medical exams and passport approvals.  The children will have homes in the United States, Italy, Sweden, and Spain to name a few.  We have also had local adoptions recently.

As for the center the children are grouped by age and there are three rooms for the children.

Room 1 ages: birth to 10-12 months old.

Room 2 ages: 10-12 months to 18-24 months old.

Room 3 ages: 18-24 months to 6 years old.

The rooms are all on the bottom floor.  There is also a giant playroom where children from room 2 and 3 can mingle.  In each room there are about 7-10 infants, toddlers or children for ONE house parent to take care of during an 8 hour shift.  The reliever comes at the next shift.  The most hectic rooms seems to be Room 2 because of the developmental stages of the children; teething, being potty trained, learning how to walk, talking, etc.  They also seem to fight for attention since there is only one care giver for the little tykes.

The older children engage in a range of activities such as going outside to play, playing in the playroom, going into the dinner room to eat, coloring, watching TV etc.  A Canadian volunteer was able to capture a few photos of the children playing one morning.  Here they are.

Two of the children playing with legos!

Here he is playing alone and building his tall structure.

Another glimpse at his structure but notice his squat position.  This position is signature of most filipinos!

One of our girls reading a book. 

The finished product! Can't forget the "pogi" (sexy or handsome) pose.

Twin brothers pose for a picture.

This baby concentrates as she gets her ducks in a row :)

Reading together.

Playing with the wooden Elephants.

This is the room for the children of Room 3

Playing Doctor with the houseparent.

Modeling what he just saw on his "sister".

The bulletin board in the hallway of the building showing where the children live post discharge.

It time to color!

The dining area for the children.