Without a doubt, this is one of the most pervasive and dire of adoption myths. There are many theories behind the adoption doomsday scenarios — the most lovely and hopeful of which is the notion that children no longer need adoption to have a permanent, loving family.

If this were true, our work would be done.

In every country where Holt works — and long before pursuing adoption — we strive to keep children in the loving care of their birth families, whenever possible. But sadly, we are far from living in an ideal world where every child can remain with their families.

For children who are orphaned, abandoned or unable to remain or reunite with their birth families, adoption is still the best route to a permanent, loving family.

And we assure you that adoption is not ending — not anytime soon.

“I mostly hear this myth about Korea.” So says our long-time adoption counselor Emily Lund, who is often the first person you will speak to when you contact Holt. “There have been rampant rumors for decades now about Korea wanting to eventually cease international adoption,” Emily explains. “Social media doesn’t always help.”

As with many rumors, this one is actually grounded in some truth. But in the game of telephone that invariably follows — now conducted over Facebook and Twitter — truths often become warped and distorted.