Welcoming Angels featured in Zone Magazine

Zone Magazine recently featured an article about America World's Welcoming Angels program, which brought five Ethiopian orphans to the Baltimore area this past May. The full article and link are below. 

http://www.thezonemag.com/Welcoming.html

America World Adoption Agency launched their Welcoming Angels program on April 19th with the arrival of five orphans from Ethiopia. Due to arrive on a Saturday, their trip was postponed three days by Ethiopian immigration officials who kept them from boarding the plane. Holding the necessary paperwork from both the United States embassy and orphanage directors, they were required to go to court for another power of attorney from the Ethiopian government. Five families from Baltimore, Harford, and Carroll Counties were anticipating their arrival and disappointed over the delay. On Tuesday, April 19th, three boys, two girls and one chaperone emerged from Dulles airport and were introduced to their host families. Under the impression that they were visiting the United States for a camp program, these children were unaware of the potential impact this journey could have on their future.

The Welcoming Angels program, directed by Mary Noble, was birthed with the intent of introducing older orphans to potential adoptive families. According to the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism put out by Brandeis University, ninety-five percent of the world’s population of orphans is above the age of five. Since families are more likely to pursue the adoption of an infant, programs like Welcoming Angels can help prospective parents overcome fears related to older orphan adoption. Welcoming Angels does this by providing families with an opportunity to develop a relationship with the child before making a commitment to adopt.