China Family Tours

Supporting adoptee identity means much more than simply providing opportunities to learn about birth country culture. Holt was the first agency to pioneer the concept of heritage tours for international adoptees in the 1970s. With adult adoptees in leadership positions and on our staff and board, and with years of experience working with children in orphanages all over China, Holt is uniquely qualified to offer a special homeland experience for you.

2012 COMBINED HERITAGE TOUR AND ADOPTEE DAY CAMP IN CHINA

On Holt's upcoming 2012 Family Tours, in addition to the many enjoyable sightseeing and educational touring activities, for about two days all adoptees will also be given an opportunity to participate in a day-camp in China exclusively for them. As is traditional at Holt's annual adoptee camps in the U.S., adoptees will experience self-discovery and fun within a community of other adoptees, while also exploring issues of adoption, race, and identity development together with trained adult adoptee counselors.

TENTATIVE DATES AND ITINERARIES

We are still in the process of planning. Actual dates and itineraries will depend upon our government partners in China, the amount of interest expressed and staff availability. We will keep everyone on our interest list updated as plans evolve. Dates should be confirmed by early fall.

TOUR A:
Approximate dates June 17 to July 2.
Especially for teenage adoptees, but all adoptees 9 years old and older are welcome. Co-escorted by an adult international adoptee. Visit famous sites in Beijing – like the Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City –the mountains of Guilin, Yangshuo, Li River Cruise, activities for teenage adoptees, home province with orphanage/finding site/foster family visit where possible, plus three days of adoptee day camp in China with activities exclusively for international adoptees, facilitated by international adoptees.

TOUR B:
Approximate dates June 25 to July 9.
Open to families with adoptees 9 years old and older. Co-escorted by an adult international adoptee. Visit famous sites in Beijing – like the Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City – Xi'An with the Terracotta Warriors, Farmer's house, home province with orphanage/finding site/foster family visit where possible, plus three days of adoptee day camp in China with activities exclusively for international adoptees, facilitated by international adoptees.

Optional add-on tour package available on either trip to Chengdu, Wulong Nature Reserve with an opportunity to pet a live panda

Some comments by adoptees:

"I'm glad I went on this tour to China. I now understand more about why I had to be adopted."

"I know that people in China care about me. Since this trip I think of China as a beautiful and interesting place. It makes me feel special being American and Chinese."

"I feel more at peace with myself… Holt was really good to us and we were treated with only the best. I not only made lifelong friends who truly understand what I've been through as an adoptee, but I made lifelong memories too."

Some comments by parents:

"Meeting with orphanage workers, (our daughter's) foster family and being welcomed as valued and important individuals by persons involved in their early life gave our daughters a sense of belongingness no story we could tell them could ever convey."

"On our last day of the tour, (our daughter) told me that she was very sad that the tour was over… I wish I didn't have to leave…. She looked at me with shining eyes and I heard her unspoken words "I love China and now I know that China loves me."

"(My daughter) is different after this tour. She has a stronger sense of belonging, a sense of having a connection to her birth, and pride in being Chinese."

Tour Participants on this China Tour will:

• Experience the culture, customs and history of China
• See everyday life in China: Chinese schools, local homes, cultural activities, from big city to village life
• Visit a number of famous Chinese tourist sites such as the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the mountains of Guilin, a river cruise, and enjoy the beauty of the diverse Chinese landscape
• Learn the inside story of adoption, orphanages and child welfare in China from real experts
• Meet people who touched adoptees' early lives before they found their forever home. Visit their orphanage, foster families and sites of significance to their adoption story (wherever possible)
• Travel with a group of other adoptees who are all experiencing their homeland visit together, and engage in fun adoptee-centered activities under the guidance of adult international adoptee camp counselors assigned to the tour by Holt's Post Adoption Services
• Enjoy the trip of a lifetime

Tours will be open to families of children adopted from any province; families will separate mid-tour to visit orphanages, and then rejoin the main group. All children participating should be at least 9 years old. We expect to announce exact dates of our tours in the fall of 2011. Contact Holt for up-to-date details.

Cost for a 2012 Family Tour with adoptee day camp: Your exact tour cost will vary, depending upon your child's home province and other personal choices. However, as an example, in 2011 the average family's fee for a tour was about $3000 per adult or child aged twelve and older, and about $2500 per child under twelve. This cost did not include international airfare between the U.S. and China. Please see FAQs for more information.