Our Vision | A world where every child has a loving and secure home.
Watts is a smiley, joyful and playful little boy who loves to run around and be outside. As a 3-year-old, Watts loves to be around other kids — especially at his daycare! He is one of the children waiting for his permanent, loving family through adoption.
When you share your plans to adopt, there’s a good chance that you will hear lots of opinions and advice. And once in the process, you will go through 10 or more hours of training to help prepare you for the unique experience of parenting an adopted child. But when it comes to connecting with your child, some of the best advice you will hear will come from adoptees themselves.
Below, we share 7 pieces of advice from Holt adoptees Hannah, Taylor* and Alex*. Whether you are about to adopt — or are now home with your child — thoughts and insights from adult adoptees can help you build a stronger relationship with your child, and empower you to help your child build a healthy adoptee identity.
UPDATE: We shared about Carter in 2018, but he still needs a permanent, loving family of his own! Since that time, he completed the fifth grade and improved his soccer skills. Carter also shares that he hopes to be a martial artist one day — combining his love for competition and physical activities.
Carter excels in his science and history classes, and he can memorize material with ease. He is a talkative and extroverted boy, making him a natural leader in class! When he faces a problem, Carter solves it quickly and always asks for help when he needs it.
Carter is sweet, gentle and helpful to those around him. He enjoys gardening and harvesting the home-grown vegetables at his care center, and he also likes to take care of the younger children.
At 11 years old, Carter dreams of having his own parents and siblings one day. He hopes to be cared for and loved by his adoptive family, and he can’t wait to make memories with them!
Many of the children who are waiting for an adoptive family are older or in sibling groups. Could you be the right family for an older child or a sibling group? Learn more about some of our country programs that are seeking families for children who fit this profile!
UPDATE: We shared Cole’s story in 2018, but he is still waiting for a permanent, loving family! Since that time, Cole’s cognitive, social and language development have significantly improved. At school, Cole enjoys reading, memorizing and asking a lot of questions for better understanding. His teachers share that he has made remarkable progress!
His sense of humor is apparent, and he loves to build relationships and laugh with his peers. More recently, he has enjoyed playing with cars and reading books. He also loves reading and learning about animals!
Cole is increasingly independent and confident with his motorized wheelchair. But even though he can move from place to place, Cole dreams of walking one day. His curiosity is stronger than ever before, and he hopes to explore the world around him by foot.
A Special Blessings grant is available to help the right family bring Cole home!
UPDATE: We shared Rowan’s story in 2018, but he is still waiting for a family! Since that time, Rowan has continued to work hard in school — especially in math, history and geography. Rowan’s teachers say that he’s the best student in class, and he’s always eager to learn. His love for learning and speaking English also continues to grow — grasping any opportunity to practice his vocabulary.
His health has also improved with yearly checkups and maintenance medication. Still full of energy, Rowan loves to interact with others, play games and dance to music. But he also enjoys being in a quiet space, where his caregivers say that he often reflects about his day.
Rowan looks forward to having a loving, permanent family of his own. One of his favorite memories was when he saw his friend go home with her adoptive parents — hoping that, one day, it will be his turn.
A $7,000 Special Blessings grant is available to help the right family bring Rowan home!
So many adoption agencies find loving homes for children from China, it can be hard to know what agency is the best fit for your family! To help you decide, here are five key facts about Holt’s China adoption program:
1. One of the first agencies to find families for children from China, Holt has a longstanding relationship with the Chinese government and we have 25+ staff members in China. Holt is one of two agencies with NGO status in China, which allows our dedicated in-country staff members to follow up directly with the children’s caregivers for updated information. Continue reading “5 things to know about Holt’s China Program!”
Once you start to consider adoption, it’s important to look into the other decisions that you’ll need to think about. Below, we listed the top five decisions you’ll need to make early on in the adoption process, as well as some useful information to help you make them!
Deciding on the profile of child you’re open to is one significant decision that every family has to make. If you’re looking into international adoption, the profile of child can vary. On average, most children adopted internationally are between the ages of 2 to 3 years old when they arrive home. But many older children urgently need families, and if you’re open to an older child, your process could move quicker.
Continue reading “Five Decisions Every Adoptive Family Needs to Make”
In this episode we talk to Caley, a Vietnamese Adoptee and college student at the University of Oregon. Caley shares with us about being a transracial Adoptee growing up in Oregon, existing in the “grey” space, and attitudes towards racial stereotypes through an Adoptee lens. We are so excited to be able to share more from Caley through this video.
Check out part 1 of our series on racial identity: https://youtu.be/YACmnFgw6c0
Check out part 2: https://youtu.be/fTqqDH6oytk
Contact us! pas@holtinternational.org
At a young age, Hallie always loved to sing. She currently sings in a choir with her peers, and one day, she wants to learn how to play the piano. Along with her love for music, Hallie also enjoys ballet! Continue reading “Hallie Needs a Family!”