Chinese Adoptees and Birth Parents FAQs

May I send a letter and photos to my orphanage or foster family?

Yes. You may send letters and photos to Holt to forward or you may send them directly to the orphanage. In either case the orphanage forwards them to the foster family.

Are there any limitations on what I can send to Holt to forward to China?

Yes. Holt cannot forward large envelopes or packages or return them to you. Please use small envelopes only.

If I wish to send correspondence directly to China, how do I get the address of my orphanage or foster family?

Lotus Travel, www.lotustours.net, keeps an address list for orphanages. Please contact them for the address for your orphanage. For the address of your foster family, please contact your orphanage. Some orphanages will release this information to you; others will not.

Does Holt have any additional records about me?

Holt has no additional records about you. Your parents received a copy of everything in our files at the time that you were assigned to them.

Does the orphanage have any additional records about me?

Probably not. Few orphanages have had the resources to keep extensive records about the children they served. In the 1990s, for example, most orphanages were working hard simply to keep babies alive. They could not also document how children came into care or, in some cases, prepare documents so that children could be adopted. Even today, there are still some orphanages that do not have the resources to keep medical records on children in care..

If I go to China, may I visit my orphanage?

Orphanages in China are not public places and can only be visited with government or orphanage approval. If you receive permission to visit your orphanage, please show gratitude for this opportunity and respect for the rules that orphanage officials wish you to abide by, such as limitations to taking pictures.

If I visit my orphanage, may I meet the people who cared for me?

Although you cannot visit an orphanage in China without government or orphanage approval, if you do so, it is likely that some of the same people who cared for you when you were small will still be there. They will be delighted to see you and will happily share how they remember you.

May I search for birth parents in China?

At this point Holt recommends that you do not search for your birth parents in China. It is illegal to relinquish children in China. As a result, there is also no legal means to search for birth parents. Searching at this time could put your birth parents, if found, at risk for legal penalties. Searching might also jeopardize the possibility for other children to find adoptive families.

Will it ever be possible for me to search for my birth parents?

Perhaps. Countries change all the time, and there may be a more favorable environment in the future for searching.

May I send clothing or toys to my orphanage in China?

Thank you for thinking of the children still left in your orphanage. You can help them, but sending clothing or toys from the United States to China is complicated and difficult.

Why shouldn't I send clothing or toys to my orphanage in China?

Most items needed in orphanages can be purchased in China more cheaply than they can be sent from the United States. In addition, Chinese Customs regulations prohibit accepting shipments of used clothing. Anyone who picks up a box from Chinese Customs may also have to pay a large fee that might be more than what the contents of the box is worth.

How can I help the children in my orphanage?

The best way to help the children in your orphanage is to send a monetary donation. If you have collected clothing and toys, consider having a garage or yard sale and sending the money you collect to your orphanage.

How can I send money to my orphanage?

You may make a tax-deductible donation, earmarked for your orphanage, to Holt. We will forward it through our Beijing office to your orphanage.

Can you let me know how the money is used?

Whether or not we can let you know how the money is used depends upon many factors, including for example, whether you are donating to one of Holt's child welfare programs or to an orphanage that we have no current, formal relationship with. We look forward to assisting you in helping children still in China.

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