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The Home of Love Center for Orphans, founded in October 2007, is a non-governmental foster home run by a small group of volunteers in the city of Pingdingshan, Henan province.
1. Goals and characteristics
Relying on volunteering work and donations from the general public, “Home of Love” works to help local orphanages care for abandoned infants and children. The center not only provides shelter for children with special physical needs, but also actively seeks treatment for those children who suffer from serious medical conditions.
2. Principles of care for orphans with medical needs
The people at the center believe in “doing it all for the children”:
1) All acutely and/or severely ill children deserve urgent, appropriate medical care, including hospitalization;
2) Children who need to receive appropriate care in other cities will be provided transportation, given that a charity organization in those cities has agreed to provide adequate care once the patient arrives;
3) All other sick children with symptoms such as fever or cold will received appropriate care and long-term follow-up;
4) Periodical immunization will be provided by the local Wukuan Clinic to all children fostered at the center.
3. Who does the center admit?
The center mostly accepts sick or premature infants, as well as children with congenital diseases such as heart disease, cleft palate, spinal bifida, anal atresia and other mild to moderate malformations. Almost all the children the center fosters are from orphanages.
Capacity:
In the past, the center has fostered up to 14 children at one time (with two hired professional caregivers). The ideal capacity of the center is 8-10 children at one time. Currently, there is one room for infants (0-1 year olds) and one room for toddlers (1-3 year olds).
4. Staff members
The center hires full-time professional caregivers to provide daily care for the children.
The supervisor of the center is Ms. Zhihong Zhou, who is responsible for the management and the provision of medical care to children fostered at the center, as well as for communicating with charity organizations, donors, orphanages, and local hospitals that assist in providing medical attention to the children. She is also in charge of fund-raising for any emergency medical needs of the children that arises. She is expected to fulfill diligently the roles of a responsible volunteer, mother, and nurse.
5. Sources of funding
1) The Beijing Angel Mom Centers for Orphans gives monthly donations to pay for professional caregivers.
2) The Shanghai Babies Home Centers for Orphans gives variable donations, used mainly toward the children's medical fees.
3) Variable donations are received from charitable persons from at the Cradle Network Charity Forum, a major Chinese parenting forum. These donations are used mainly toward medical expenses and nutritional expenses.
4) A Life A Time Foundation (f.k.a. Overseas Save Chinese Children Foundation) has given donations entirely earmarked for the children's medical care. These donations have been varying in time and amount.
5) Local donations
a) Variable donations from charitable friends in the city of Pingdingshan;
b) Variable donations from professional caregivers at the center;
c) Variable donations from companies and public institutions;
d) Variable donations from orphanages to pay for transportation costs.
Note: Most funds received from voluntary donations are used for medical expenses and living costs.
Every month, the center lists the details of its use of donations on the internet, in order to receive supervision and advice from the general public.
6. Monitoring and suprervising
The center publishes detailed list of donation usage on the Chinese Cradle Network Charity Forum. These lists are under the thread titled “Henan Centers for Orphans”.
The City Orphanage supervises and advises the work being done at Centers for orphans.
Friends of the Cradle Network and other charitable persons from the general public are invited to submit advice and suggestions for our work.
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