Disaster strikes...
On January 12, 2010, a massive, 7.0 earthquake struck this island nation – killing an estimated 230,000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more. Fortunately, the Holt Fontana Village was not damaged in the quake, and all the children and staff were safe. Recognizing the urgency of the crisis, the U.S. Government granted humanitarian parole visas for 21 children at the village whose adoptions were near completion when the quake hit. All 21 children are now home with their families.

As Haiti rebuilds, processing stalls...
To give time to learn how the adoption process may have changed – and with local infrastructure devastated – Holt delayed processing of new adoption cases in the aftermath of the quake. About a year later, in 2011, Holt resumed adoption services from Haiti – matching all children eligible for adoption from the Holt Fontana Village.

Our work continues...
Today, Holt continues to accept applications from families interested in adopting from Haiti. Families hoping to adopt younger children – under 3 years at the time of referral – are placed on a short waitlist.

Families are also needed for older children, children with special needs and sibling groups who come into care at Holt Fontana Village. There is generally no waitlist to adopt these children.

To learn about the many different ways Holt serves children and families in Haiti, click here.

Children recently home from Haiti