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Parting Words For a Place That Will Never Part From Me

As she prepares to move to Indonesia for an exciting new job, Holt Adoptee Programs Lead and adult adoptee Caitlin Howe shares some thoughts on her time at Holt.

Caitlin Howe (bottom left) during a video recording with other adult adoptees on Holt’s post-adoption team.

I remember my first interview at Holt. I actually remember all three of my interviews at Holt, each for a different position in a different department. After I completed my master’s degree in intercultural youth and family development, I knew that Holt was one of the few places in town where I could see myself working because of the international focus. After the first two attempts I knew that I had one more shot left in me before moving on in my job search. Continue reading “Parting Words For a Place That Will Never Part From Me”

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Top 5 Myths (and Facts) About International Adoption Today

Read about the top five misconceptions we hear about adopting a child internationally, and get the facts you need to begin your adoption journey empowered and informed! 

Myth: Infants need families through international adoption. 

Fact: Due to shifts in culture and greater efforts on the part of country governments and advocacy organizations, more children are now able to join domestic adoptive families — giving them the opportunity to grow up in the country and culture of their birth. In many countries, the central adoption authority designates the first 6+ months of a relinquished or abandoned child’s life to looking for a family domestically. Only then will they even consider international adoption for a child. We typically do not see internationally adopted children joining families before the age of 3 years old. Holt is primarily seeking families who are open to children ages 4 years and older at the time of arrival with their family in the U.S. Continue reading “Top 5 Myths (and Facts) About International Adoption Today”

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The Importance of Preserving Your Adopted Child’s Historical Documents

Holt’s records administrator, Sunday Silver, shares why Holt keeps a secure file for every child we have ever placed through adoption, including how they came into care, any medical or birth parent information, etc., and why it’s so important adoptive parents preserve these documents, too. 

One of the hardest jobs we have in the post-adoption department at Holt is to inform an Adoptee that a birth search is not possible.

By the time Adoptees come to us about initiating a search, they have given it a lot of thought.  They are searching for connection — an answer to questions about their identity, where they come from and who they look like.  Some come to us knowing that the chance of locating a birth parent is not very high, and yet, they remain hopeful. Others come with a deep yearning to fill a hole inside them that can only be filled by reconnecting with the parents that gave them life. Continue reading “The Importance of Preserving Your Adopted Child’s Historical Documents”

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FAQs About Holt’s Families Not Finances Campaign

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about Holt’s new adoption fundraising and family recruitment campaign to help waiting children with special needs join families. 

What is the Families Not Finances (FNF) campaign?

At Holt, we believe money should never stand between a child and a loving family. That’s why we launched the Families Not Finances campaign — to help cover the cost of adoption for families who have the desire and capacity to care for a waiting child with special needs, but may lack the financial means to cover all the fees and expenses required to adopt. Continue reading “FAQs About Holt’s Families Not Finances Campaign”

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For Families, Not Finances

Announcing Holt’s new adoption fundraising and family recruitment campaign to help waiting children with special needs join the loving, permanent families they deserve!

In an ideal world, money would never stand between a child and a loving family.

But far too often, that’s what it comes down to for families who would love to adopt but can’t.

As prospective parents, you may meet every eligibility requirement. You may have a stable home environment and the resources to meet a child’s physical and emotional needs. You understand the complexity of international adoption — or you’re willing to learn. You might be the ideal family — or single mom or dad — for a child with a particular medical or developmental need. You are flexible, adaptable, nurturing, patient and willing to go above and beyond to advocate for a child and ensure they have everything they need to thrive. Most of all, you have ample love to offer a child waiting for a family.

But the one thing you don’t have is $30,000+ to cover all the fees and expenses required — and necessary — to ensure an ethical adoption process. Meanwhile, the child you would adopt if only you had the money continues to wait in an orphanage or foster home.   Continue reading “For Families, Not Finances”

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Transracial Adoption — Its Effects on Children and How Parents Can Help

Ways you can help a child of a different race and ethnicity who joined your family through transracial adoption or foster care feel more secure and safe in your home.

Foster care and adoption bring uncertainty to a child’s life. These children face a continuum of unanswered questions, searching for where they came from, who they are and who they will become. When looking at a child in the system from a bird’s eye view, most of their identity has been taken away from them, and everything they ever knew has vanished.

Now try adding race on top of that. Continue reading “Transracial Adoption — Its Effects on Children and How Parents Can Help”

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Thoughts on Racism From an Asian American Adoptee Parent

Adoptee Kit Myers shares how his life experience as an Asian American shapes how he plans to parent his daughter.  This piece was originally posted in 2015 alongside reflections on race and parenting from two other Asian American adoptee parents. 

Dr. Kit Myers with his daughter.

My biological daughter is 16 months old. She is half Chinese, half Hmong, and I’m hyper-aware of how outwardly friendly new people are to her. I think this parallels the experience of many adoptees. Continue reading “Thoughts on Racism From an Asian American Adoptee Parent”