One child waves; another offers a big, toothy smile; we are surrounded with hugging, clinging children, all beaming bright grins in the sunshine. They had been playing a game with their teacher, but we were the distraction that drew them away.

The Tianjin Children's Welfare Institute has a 100-year history and after decades of development, the institute has become one of Tianjin's model work units open to foreign visitors. It has received a first class rating from the city government.

There are many absolutely loveable children at the Tianjin Children's Welfare Institute between the ages of a few days to twenty years old. Most of the several hundred children have some sort of handicap, but these handicaps can range from minute conditions, like a missing finger or toe, to conditions that require urgent care or continuing therapy, like serious heart problems and severe cerebral palsy.

The International Committee for Chinese Orphans (ICCO) is a charitable organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of these children, regardless of their handicaps, with special attention to individual needs.

Volunteers visit the children throughout the week, from Monday to Friday, many holding babies and assisting in feedings, others offering their support in the educational building, using their skills and talents to help these children reach their potentials.

A volunteer medical team, consisting of two foreign nurses and a physician's assistant, examine the children with the aid of the doctors at the institute to gauge which children have special medical needs. They do everything from lining up children for cleft lip and palate surgeries to making sure the nutritional needs of all the children are met.

ICCO provides high quality formula for all the babies in the baby building at the Institute, and sponsors the salaries of the caretakers there, to ensure that each baby gets more "holding time" than they would otherwise. Both of these provisions are necessary for the babiesÕ growth and emotional, as well as physical, development.

In addition, ICCO's full-time physical therapist, Allyson Willson, spends all day, Monday through Friday, at the orphanage, working with infants through school age children, many with cerebral palsy or debilitating syndromes. As part of her role, Allyson provides extra feeding support for the difficult-to-feed babies, and therapy plans for those who need it.

There are also countless opportunities for Allyson to visit another foster home, Jing Hai, (located about on hour south of Tianjin), to visit the children, and consult with, and train foster parents on basic therapy technique. Needless to say, her job responsibilities are sometimes overwhelming as the need is great.

ICCO is currently on the lookout for other therapists who may be willing to come alongside Allyson and contribute to these children's lives. If you are interested or if you know someone who is, please contact one of the people listed at the end of this article.

ICCO realizes that after medical and nutritional needs, a good education is a huge contributor to a child's quality of life. That's why ICCO pays for the salaries of some of the Institute's teachers and tutors. Some foreign volunteers also give their time on Saturdays to teach the children English. Others hold special classes for deaf and blind children, as well as special training for the caretakers who work with these children.

Although life at the Institute has improved for the children over the last eight years that ICCO has been a presence there, the need for support is still great. Full use of outside resources are necessary for the development of the orphanage. There are new children brought to the orphanage with varying needs every week. So, whether you're interested in volunteering your time, your talents, or donating resources to help ICCO expand its services, we would love to hear from you. Please get involved and thank you for caring!

Want to volunteer your time? Call Mr. Jim Johnston at 138 0330 7961; or via email at: jimjohnston88@yahoo.com.
Want to make a donation of resources? Contact Ms. Lynn Huffman, at 2335-5888, Room 2704, or via email, at Berrycv@mac.com.