Our Vision | A world where every child has a loving and secure home.
Four-year-old Vera is sweet and extroverted. Her caregivers love her, and she gets along well with the other children in her orphanage. She is described as an observant and affectionate child who has a lot of love to give. Continue reading “Vera Still Needs an Adoptive Family!”
This year, we asked applicants to submit a creative work based on the theme, “A Portrait of Me: An Adoptee.” They each won a $500 scholarship.
For my piece I decided to paint the different facades of my identity. Growing up in a predominantly white town, it was rare to see other Asian kids let alone Korean kids with white parents. Because of that, I attended a Korean adoptee camp where I met other families that looked like mine, which was a really influential experience. On top of race, my religion made me special because I was usually the only Jew in class. I took my individuality as an opportunity to educate my classmates on adoption, Korea, and Judaism. I included my three different names because they’re the foundation from which I built the rest of my identity. I am fortunate that my parents took us on vacations because I learned I loved to scuba surf, and travel which I hope to continue in the future. The paw prints represent my love for animals and the volunteer work I did at a shelter. My artistic side is shown through my love of Broadway and painting. I was also able to express my athleticism through my high school’s cheerleading team. This painting is the perfect visual representation of who I am. Continue reading “2020 Holt Adoptee Scholarship Winners!”
Eleven-year-old Pauly is kind-hearted. He is eager to help others and dreams of becoming a firefighter when he grows up. Continue reading “Pauly Needs an Adoptive Family!”
At 11 years old, Thomas is active and adventurous. He likes to eat all kinds of food, and especially loves chocolate milk. His caregivers say that he is very helpful and polite. He often volunteers to help out with some of the tasks around the orphanage. He also loves to have fun and one of his favorite games is hide and seek. Continue reading “Thomas is waiting for an adoptive family!”
Susie Doig, senior executive of U.S. programming, explains why understanding that adoption is more than a single moment in time requires us to take a broader, more comprehensive approach.
When most of us think about international adoption, we take a process with lifetime and generational implications and narrow it down to one brief moment in time — the moment an adoptive parent meets their child for the first time. We watch videos of an adoptive parent’s first embrace of their new child; see the child cry and pull away or perhaps fiercely hug the adoptive parent back, and we are overcome by this moment.
To help find loving, permanent families for the many older children eligible for adoption in Colombia, Holt is now recruiting families for a special five-week hosting program.
Julian grew up in Colombia, in protective custody. At young ages, he and his sister separated from their family because they couldn’t care for them the way they needed to be cared for. Julian looked out for his sister, who is two years younger. He is studious and shy, and very mature for his age.
Julian would have loved to have a family, and a home. But as he grew older, and watched other, younger kids join adoptive families, he slowly gave up hope of ever having a family — especially one that would adopt both he and his sister. No matter what, they wanted to stay together. Continue reading “Every Child Deserves a Chance: Advocating for Older Kids From Colombia”
Charleen is a kind, quiet and responsible 14-year-old waiting for a loving and permanent family of her own. Her caregivers describe her as friendly and empathetic, and she loves to care for and nurture the younger children at her orphanage, where she is the oldest child in care. Continue reading “Charleen Needs an Adoptive Family!”
When the Kennedy family arrived in China to adopt their daughter Mia last year, some things did not go as expected. But John Feng — Holt’s site manager in Guangzhou, China — went above and beyond to care for them and meet each need that they and their daughter had.
Sometimes, adoption is all about preparing for the unexpected.
From the homestudy and dossier to waiting for a match, adoptive parents quickly learn that while there’s a lot they can control, there’s also a lot that is out of their hands.
No one understands this more than our current families in process. As of July 2020, travel is still on hold for many Holt adoptive families because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Every day, Holt is tirelessly advocating for children to unite with their adoptive families as soon as it is safe to do so. Continue reading “In Good Hands | A China Adoption Travel Thank You Message”
Autumn is a sweet and sunny girl who loves to learn!
Her teachers describe her as smiley and well-behaved. Some of Autumn’s favorite activities include helping at home, family games and playing with her baby dolls. Autumn is very creative and enjoys drawing, crafts and puzzles. She is even learning to play the flute!
Autumn was originally adopted from China in 2014 and she currently resides in the United States. She has been through several transitions in her life and she needs and deserves a stable, loving family — the right family for her. The best fit for Autumn is a family that will make her feel safe and cared for. They should also have access to excellent educational and medical resources.
Could you or someone you know be the right family for Autumn? To learn more about Autumn, please email waitingchild@holtinternational.org.
Continue reading “Do you know that Holt now has an adoption program from Taiwan?”