The story of two once-orphaned and abandoned girls, and the special medical foster home that changed their lives. Read and share their story in honor of National Foster Care Month!

Today, Maya and Payton are home with their loving families in the United States. Their journey was a long and difficult one. Maya’s mother Ashley says that Maya’s condition before entering Holt’s care was extremely poor. “She was so tiny, frail and developmentally delayed,” Ashley says. Found on the steps of an orphanage in Guangdong province, Maya suffered from cleft lip and palate, and was severely malnourished.

Four months later, little Payton was also found and brought to the same orphanage. She too suffered from cleft lip and palate. In 2013, Holt determinedly worked to match these precious girls with families in the United States. In September of that year, we matched Payton with Kris and Kelly Furman. And two months later, we matched Maya with Max and Ashley Simpson. “We found Maya on the waiting child photolisting. The day they posted her picture, we contacted Holt wanting to be matched with her,” Ashley says. While Maya and Payton had both found their families, our staff in China quickly realized that they would need extra help and attention before they could begin their journey home.

They found that care at Holt’s Peace House.

A special foster home that Holt oversees in Beijing, The Peace House offers orphaned and abandoned children waiting for corrective or life-saving surgeries a place to prepare and recuperate. Holt took over operation of the Peace House in 2011, and currently cares for an average of 35 children every year.

When Holt staff learned about Maya and Payton, they desperately tried to bring them from their orphanage to the Peace House. Their first few attempts to transfer the girls were unsuccessful. “Their orphanage was quite a distance,” Holt China staff says. “The orphanage didn’t bring them. But we knew we couldn’t give up on these girls.” Desperate, Holt staff sent “before and after” photos of children who had previously been rehabilitated at the Peace House to the girls’ orphanage. Finally, after several months, the orphanage agreed to send the girls to receive the care and surgeries they desperately needed. “We knew we needed to bring these two children to our Peace House for better care," they said,  "otherwise we couldn’t imagine what could happen to them.”