Ningdu Orphanage

Experiences of Adopting Parents

From one of the adopting moms:  "Ningdu is not really a city, it's a county.  That is why it's hard to find on some maps.  It is a very long drive, more than eight hours from Nanchang where the adoption will take place (see second opinion on this below).  My 9 month old was very well taken care of by her nanny.  She was a lot more advanced than my 7 mo and 8 mo old were that we adopted previously.  All the babies were potty-trained, they came to us with NO diapers on.   The initial receiving of our daughter was very traumatic for her and us.  She screamed so much that she threw up twice, until she finally went to sleep.  I tried to get her to eat, but between being stressed-out and the taste she wouldn't take a bottle until the next day in the afternoon!  The next day at the adoption, the nanny was there and the nanny cried to see them leave.  The nanny also got her to wave bye-bye (d'zie chen) and clap her hands.  Everyday we could see her blossom, by the time we got to Guangzhou she was a little clown!"  (KP, adopted 11/99)

From a traveler to Ningdu:  I took a bus from Nanchang to Ningdu on 5 August 2003, and the entire journey, including a stop for lunch plus another unscheduled, very lengthy stop at a police roadblock, took just five and a half hours. Driving straight through without the stops would take considerably less. As I mentioned in my account of the journey (which you can find at http://www.confluence.org/confluence.php?visitid=7070), the road all the way from Nanchang to Ningdu is a four-lane undivided highway in excellent condition.

From another mom:  "From what we know (since we weren't actually able to visit the orphanage) the NingDu orphanage is fairly small, about 40 children total. They told me they had ten babies. From the pictures the orphanage seemed clean and well staffed.  Our daughter was very attached to her caregivers and seemed to have received love and attention while in the orphanage. She had two primary caregivers. When we asked the Orphanage Director what we could send as donations that would be useful, he told us that they "have everything they need in China". He was polite, but obviously a very proud man.  They used the disposable camera we sent and gave us additional pictures as gifts, which I thought was very nice. All four of the babies that came from Ning Du had matching hand knit outfits on, which they let us keep. I made the mistake of sending some onesies which did not get used. I assume it was too difficult because all they use are spilt pants. They did use the blanket we sent and I think she got the toy.   It appears the children at this orphanage are being exposed to lead.  My daughter and another baby who was tested, each had lead readings of about 23 to 25.  Although, this isn't a high enough number to undergo treatment, we do have to take Kara in for blood tests every few months to make sure the levels are going down. The Hematologist said it may be up to two years before her levels are normal. I haven't heard whether the other two babies in our group were tested.  On the bright side, she hasn't suffered any developmental harm from the exposure. She is crawling (like a speed demon!) pulling herself up and will walk holding our hands. She was about nine months old when we received her. If the referrals are a year or under I wouldn't be as concerned, but if anyone is getting an older child that has lived in orphanage a number of years they may want to try to get more information."  (KR, a. 11/99)

And another:  We adopted our daughter in June 2000 at 9 1/2 months old.  She was in the Ningdu Welfare Institute.  We received two referral photos. She had a big grin on her face in the close up photo and in the other photo she was very bundled and sitting in a bouncy chair with a big pout on her face.  We believe she spent a lot of time in her bouncy chair because her legs and body are very strong.  She didn't like being on the floor and didn't crawl until we got her home.  Her aunties from the orphanage brought her to the Jiangxi Hotel where we were staying.  We had no opportunity to talk to anyone or ask any questions.  I don't know if this was our agency's wishes or the orphanage.  The aunties seemed very friendly but we were not permitted to interact with them.  I asked if they could sign a book that I had taken and was told by our facilitator that we would talk to them the next day but this never happened and we never saw the aunties again.  Our daughter had a red dot in the middle of her forehead when she was placed in our arms.  We were told this was to wish her good luck and good fortune in her new life.  She was wearing Osh Kosh split pants and her little bottom was bare.  She was very clean and loved water and baths from the very start.  She is also potty trained.  She obviously had been cared for very well.  We believe she received a lot of affection in the orphanage because she is very trusting and affectionate.  Her lead levels are high but not high enough for medication.  Her doctor will monitor them to be sure they are coming down.  Her thyroid levels are elevated slightly and our doctor who specializes in international adoption is watching these carefully.  She is very bright, social and verbal.  The orphanage taught her to say mama and dada and now at 11 mos. she says bye bye, bottle, baby, and up.  If you have received a referral from Ningdu, it is our belief that the Ningdu children appear to be well cared for and loved.

From an adopting mom:  We adopted our daughter on 1/18/2000 from the Ningdu orphanage at nine months. She was one of three babies from this orphanage adopted by our group. We did not visit the orphanage she was brought to us at the Lakeview Hotel. We did speak with the nanny who was affectionate with the babies and concerned for there well being. When we received our daughter she had a strong, smoky industrial smell, like she had been held over a smokestack.  It took several baths before the smell went away.  Upon returning home we also found out she had elevated lead levels. Hers was 25. She is now 22 months and her lead levels are normal. She is a very active, intelligent little girl.  I noticed the orphanage officials seemed very eager for the clothes donations we brought, I wish I had brought more.  Our daughter also seemed unfamiliar with toys.  I think the orphanage may not have many.  It may be a poorer orphanage and anyone with a referral from there may want to try to pack as many items to donate as possible. (TH, a. 1/00)

If you have adopted a child from this orphanage, receive a referral from this orphanage or know anything about Ningdu or this orphanage we'd love to hear from you.

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