Parents of the year spread the joy

Couple place 7,000 Chinese orphans with loving families

Jonathan Garcia, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 18, 2006 at midnight

Text size

More Local News

More stories »

Art, Amy and Anna Zhong have the best parents in Colorado.

For the year, at least.

Their parents, Joshua Zhong, 44, and Lily Nie, 43, were named Colorado Parents of the Year Monday by the Colorado Parents' Day Council.

The recognition goes beyond what they do as parents of their own 16-year-old twins and a younger adopted daughter, though - Zhong and Nie have helped many others become loving parents by placing about 7,000 children into families through Chinese Children Adoption International, an agency they established in 1992.

"We have the best job in the world. I believe that," Nie said as she sat with her family in their Centennial home.

Her husband agreed. "The opportunity to work with children is a blessing," Zhong said.

Both Zhong and Nie emigrated to the U.S. from China: Zhong in 1986 with only $16 in his pocket and Nie a year later with only $60.

Zhong attended a seminary and became a professor. Nie is an attorney. They placed their first orphan with parents on Easter Sunday 1994.

Since 1998, Chinese Children Adoption International has been one of the largest Chinese adoption agencies in the world. On average, it places four children with families each day, and the Centennial-based organization has now branched into Florida and Georgia.

And the work doesn't stop once they've found a child a home. Nie said the group seeks to deal with adoptees' needs emotionally and culturally as well, providing counseling for them and their new families.

In 1996, Zhong and Nie created the Joyous Chinese Cultural Center, which provides a way for the children to stay connected to their heritage through Chinese writing, songs, dances and cooking.

"We don't see ourselves as a traditional adoption agency," Zhong said. "We consider ourselves a charity."

The couple also serve as strong advocates for orphans in China and created the Chinese Charity Fund in 1995 for the improvement of Chinese orphanages.

Being so involved sometimes makes Zhong feel guilty because he can't be around his own children as much as he'd like, he admitted.

"Being a friend is more important than being a parent sometimes," Zhong said.

Art and Amy recently returned home from a visit to France, just in time to learn of the honor their parents received.

"They're pretty cool kids to be parents for," Nie said.

They adopted their third child, Anna, 10, two years ago. She has a heart condition and they wanted to help her with that. Art and Amy said she has grown nine inches in the past 12 months.

"You don't have to eat candy to be sweet, huh?" Nie said of her blushing daughter. "She's sweet enough."

Zhong and Nie said they are proud of their children, who volunteer regularly at the adoption agency and are active in school.

"Parenting is a very scary thing," Nie said. "You only get one shot, no second chances."

"But I think everybody has potential to be great parents," Zhong added.

Five rules of parenting

• Educate yourself. Joshua Zhong and Lily Nie require anyone adopting a child through their agency to take an in-depth parenting class.

• Spend quality time with your children. "If you know your children, you know how to parent," Lily Nie said.

• Set the example. Their twins, Art and Amy, 16, said they don't want their parents to ask them to do something the parents wouldn't to themselves.

• Establish clear expectations and boundaries.

Make sure your children know what is expected of them and what their "job description" is around the house and away from it, Lily Nie said.

• Include your children.

Lily Nie said that whenever she and her husband make an important decision, they include their children.

• For information on Chinese Children Adoption International, visit www.chinesechildren.org

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News