There might not be a picture frame big enough for the Russian Ministry of Education's decree No. 253: That piece of paper, dated September 12 and posted to the ministry's Web site today, makes Small World Adoption Foundation of Missouri the 13th U.S. adoption agency to be re-accredited to operate in Russia.

Brenda Henn, Small World's director of operations, sounded ecstatic when I got her on the phone a few minutes ago. "I might be headed out to buy champagne this afternoon," she joked.

The agency, whose previous accreditation expired in May 2006, has been handing adoptions in Russia since 1993. Over the years, it has placed about 2,000 children from Russia and countries created from the former Soviet Union, 1,000 of which now live in the St. Louis area. "It's hard to go someplace and not meet somebody who knows somebody who we have helped," said Henn. The agency now operates in Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam; within Russia, it handles adoptions in St. Petersburg, Perm, the Republic of Adygea (Maykop), Stavropol, Saratov and Krasnodar.

But adoption was not Small World's original mission. Ms. Henn's two partners were pediatricians in St. Petersburg and, when they emigrated to the United States in 1992, founded Small World as a charity to aid the children in Eastern Europe's orphanages. But while they soon added adoption to their mission, the trio have not abandoned their philanthropic efforts. This past June, eight Small World volunteers completed two playgrounds in the Perm region, continuing a tradition begun in 2002. And over the years, Henn told me, Small World has provided new roofs, windows, washing machines and dryers to orphanages. Even the children for whom it has found forever families have gotten into the act, raising money through an event called the Hop, Rock, and Jumpathon.

On November 3, Small World hosts its biggest fundraiser, Hearts of Hope IV Black and White Masquerade Ball in St. Louis. Previous Hearts of Hope events have raised as much as $400,000 for charities in all the countries Small World serves. For more information on the event, contact its special events coordinator, Bridget Luzecky, at (636) 207-9229 or e-mail her at bridget@swaf.com.

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