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Tubs of brightly colored cream, clear containers of candies, and a cold slab where it all comes together made for one confused little girl.

The scene unfolded at MaggieMoos Ice Cream Treatery weeks ago as Cindy Morrison of Mount Airy pondered how to explain the American shop to the 11-year-old Colombian girl, Claudia, staying with the family through a summer exchange program.

"I thought ‘Oh my gosh, how do you explain this place?'" Morrison said.

She was saved by a fellow customer who spoke Spanish, easily explaining to Claudia what her host mother could not.

Morrison, husband Scott and their family were one several that hosted children coming from Colombian orphanages and foster care for a five-week stay that wrapped up today.

Kidsave International, a child advocacy nonprofit aiming to end institutionalization of children, runs the Summer Miracles program that matches the U.S. families with children.

"Kidsave really believes it's not OK for kids to grow up without parents," said Summer Miracles organizer Lauren Gordon, adding that older children are often harder to place. "Through no fault of their own, they've ended up in the child care system."

Though the organization is not an adoption agency, those interested in adopting the children can act on that through a different channel.

Gordon said out of the 1,600 kids who have visited with the program, more than 85 percent of participants are "home," or in the process of being adopted.

Amanda Mason of Urbana said she discovered the program online a few years ago. After calling her sister and discovering she had independently found the same program, the two decided to try it.

"Isn't that weird? We said it was a sign," Mason said.

The family hosted Paula that summer, a girl now adopted by a Frederick family who met her during her time here.

"She's doing great," Mason said. "Her English is amazing, she just made the middle school soccer team; she's kind of like the poster child. Her transition has been really easy."

The Masons — Amanda, husband Greg and their four daughters — hosted Jonatan this summer. "It's a fun change," she said of the vivacious 10-year-old. "He is soaking it up," Mason said of the little boy who has joined tennis and soccer camps this summer, charming to friends despite the language barrier. "He wants to do everything." Claudia is also soaking in new experiences. Morrison said, adding that she has been busy taking cooking classes, absorbing books and even marveling at a dish washer.

To be hosts, the families go through a mini-home study — not as lengthy or involved as an adoption would be. The house is checked and parents are interviewed together while children are interviewed separately. The host family pays a fee of about $1,500 to have the child stay, and the rest of the costs are covered by Kidsave fundraising.

While here, some children receive medical attention. Claudia needed a root canal and had the dental work done through a physician involved in a network of medical professionals who donate their time and skills to the children.

There were 11 kids in the region this summer, with one in Hagerstown, two in the Frederick area and the rest closer to Washington, D.C.

Mason said her family isn't looking to adopt, but instead host to advocate for the child. Morrison said her family was open to the idea of adoption, but is seeing what happens.

Families are not allowed to talk about adoption around the children, though recent policy changes mean the children are told that some go on the exchange program and end up meeting people who adopt them, while others are not.

"My only recommendation is if you're considering it, go take Spanish classes right now," Morrison said. "Of course, we didn't have much and we're getting by just fine, so it works."

She said that language was the biggest barrier for the family, but they had discovered Google's translating service.

Mason laughed, holding her iPhone. "There's an app for that," Mason said.

"I'm amazed at how many people in our community speak Spanish," Morrison said, listing help coming from a clothing salesperson, a pool lifeguard, a person in line at the store.

If online resources don't help the old standby does: charades.

E-mail Angie Cochrun at acochrun@gazette.net.

To learn more about Kidsave International or the Summer Miracles Program, visit

www.kidsave.org or contact Lauren Gorden at 310-642-7283 or e-mail summermiracles

@kidsave.org.