How old are the children?	Top
Children are from age 5 months to 2 years. Some children up to 36 months with special needs may be available.  The average age of children when they come home is 6 to 10 months.
What is the profile of children to be adopted?	Top
Children adopted from Korea are usually infants who are generally considered to be typically developing and in good health.  Please see the Waiting Child program for children with medical issues. The children receive excellent medical care and almost all children live with loving, specially trained foster families.
Why are there geographic requirements?	Top
The Korean government generally requires Holt to work directly with prospective parents.  Holt can place children in the following states: Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, and eastern South Dakota. Holt can also place healthy children through our cooperating agencies in Texas.  For details about the eligibility requirements established by the government of Korea please see "Country Criteria."
Are there any exceptions to the geographic requirements?	Top
Holt can place Korean "waiting children" in eighteen additional states. They are: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington DC, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Is there consideration given for Korean adoptees or Korean Americans?	Top
Yes.  In the 18 states where Holt can place special needs children only, Holt can place children with no known medical issues with Korean adoptees or Korean Americans provided the family meets the eligibility requirements established by Korea.
What is a "waiting child?"	Top
Older children, sibling groups, and children with disabilities or special needs are waiting for families. Some have minor conditions such as pre-maturity, low birth weight, or other problems they are expected to out grow. Others have conditions, which require surgery, such as cleft lip and palate, heart or orthopedic problems. Some children have more serious conditions including severe cerebral palsy, dwarfism, or Down Syndrome. Holt has a great deal of experience finding families for waiting children, we will do all we can to answer questions and provide additional information.
Do we need to be open to a child of either gender?	Top
Yes, families must be open to either gender. * However, Korean adoptees and Korean Americans have the option to request a boy or a girl.
How are children selected for families?	Top
Experienced Holt-Korea social workers assign children to families based on their knowledge and needs of the child, in combination with the profile and information about the adoptive family.
What kind of information is available about the children?	Top
Child information is one of the tremendous strengths of the Korea adoption program. Since it is so well established, there is generally a great deal of information available about the child. This may include information about the social history of the child's birth family.
What kind of medical care do children receive?	Top
At birth, or when children come into care, there is a thorough medical evaluation and an individual medical record is established. All children receive monthly well-baby visits, appropriate immunizations and other routine tests. Like the US, Korea has very modern and sophisticated medical services. If children are sick, they will receive excellent medical care and attention.
What kind of information do families receive during the adoption process?	Top
Families receive copies of all medical evaluations and records.
How do the children come into care?	Top
Most children come into the adoption program through an unwed mothers program in Korea. The birth mothers receive a range of services tailored to their needs. Korean birth mothers who choose to relinquish their child for adoption, have clearly decided that adoption is the best choice for their baby and themselves.
Where do children live while they are in Korea?	Top
Almost all children live with specially trained foster families throughout Korea. A few children live in the Reception Center near the Holt office in Seoul. At the Center there is one caregiver for every three children.
Must families travel to Korea to bring home their child?	Top
Korea is one of the few countries that do not require parents to travel. Families can choose to have Holt Korea arrange for their child to be escorted. There are certainly important benefits of seeing your child's birth country; however; some families may prefer to have their child escorted.
Does Holt have any post adoption programs?	Top
Because Holt believes adoption is a lifelong commitment, our mandate is to continue providing services and support throughout the lifetime of the child. Holt realizes that families adopting internationally must cope with issues relating to race, culture and ethnicity. We are committed to providing ongoing social work support to families even after the adoption is finalized. Our Post Adoption Services include clinical support and counseling, and assistance with birth searches. Holt also provides adoptee outreach through Heritage Camp, Motherland and Family Tours, Adoptee web page (with monitored chat rooms), adult adoptee support network, and parent support groups throughout the country.  For more information, click here: Post Adoption Services