Last week, I was at my very first BAAS holiday party – an opportunity to relax and connect with colleagues about non-work things. But the most joyful part of our celebration was a very work-related piece of news. Xiaoqing, with a big smile on her face, went from person to person cooing over pictures of a little boy. Born with spinal meningocele, he was a candidate for a special needs adoption from China. And Xiaoqing had just received word that he’d been matched with a family! I couldn’t help but be touched by her enthusiasm. It was as if it was her first adoption.
As most of the BAAS community knows, Xiaoqing has been working in adoption for a very long time. I remember when I first started working in international adoption, we referred all families seeking a special needs adoption from China to BAAS – to Xiaoqing. She was doing this work long before the rest of us were.
She’s worked with so many children and families, you might think it's all become routine. But it’s hasn't. Every single child whose file crosses her desk is a child she will fight for. And every forever family placement is cause for celebration… and cause to run around a holiday party to share the news and adorable pictures. This is heart and soul of what our agency does. Our staff works longer and harder for every single child, especially those with special needs.
