The Jingdezhen SWI is a small orphanage located in a low-income area on the west side of the Yangtze river. There are at least a few groups adopting from this orphanage each year. Jingdezhen children live in the United States, Canada, Sweden and Spain. The staff, including the directors, speaks little or no English and has limited email access. Most communication is done by phone. Many families have observed that the directors have a deep concern for the children.
Currently, all of the babies are given the surname Jing, and all children brought to the SWI during a specific year are given the same first name. So, for example, all of the babies brought to the SWI in 2004 were named Jing Shen "something." Elizabeth was named Jing Shen Yan, having entered the SWI on October 27, 2004.
In September, 1998, there was a flood at the Jingdezhen SWI, and part of the orphanage was destroyed. Since that time, there has been a push to place most of the children in foster care, and as of 2005, there were no babies living at the institute. One family found few infants and toddlers living in the SWI in August, 2004, and only 55 older children living at that time. All of the infants are placed with foster care families, usually the day they are found once a police report has been made. Some come back to the orphanage 2 or 3 weeks prior to adoption, and some stay with their foster parents up until the day they travel to Nanchang (the provincial capital) for the adoption. There is no firm set plan for all children. Most of the foster families live very close to the orphanage, and the SWI staff supervises them with visits 1-2 times a month. Usually a foster family raises only one child at a time. Some babies have multiple foster parents, some have only one. As of 2004, foster parents make approximately $25 (US) per month, and it is not uncommon for them to be elderly or widowed with this being their only source of income. Many families have related that they felt their child was well cared for and even loved (there is NO doubt in MY mind: Elizabeth was most definitely loved by her foster parents and by her caregivers at the SWI...).
(with thanks to www.gurrad.com/china/jingdezhen.htm)
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