Holt International
How to Obtain File Copies
If you adopted your child through Holt International Children’s Services in the United States, Holt can provide you with copies of their child materials and other adoption related documents. These should be the same documents you received when your child came home. Documents can be lost over times, and Holt is happy to help you replace these valuable pieces of history. You can also request copies of your home study and final post-placement report if these were complete by a Holt International social worker.
In cases where the adoptee is now age 18 or over, we are unable to provide child material copies to adoptive parents. Please have your adult child contact us directly.
Please note that in most birth countries it isn’t possible to obtain new original legal documents, but should your originals be lost would we be happy to provide you with photocopies from our files.
Occasionally, adoptive parents may receive additional information or documents while in Vietnam that were not provided to Holt. This can include anecdotal stories or photos from the foster family, case worker, or orphanage. As these are provided directly to the parents while in country, we’re unable to replace lost items or contact these individuals directly.
Step-by-Step:
This is the typical process for requesting file copies. Not every case is the same, and requesting file copies is completely optional:
What you do:
- Complete the Request for Services online form and submit it.
- Receive an email in 2-5 business days that confirms Holt facilitated your adoption and a link to the request for services form(s). If your adoption was not facilitated by Holt, you’ll receive an email explaining this.
- To request a copy of your child’s U.S. child materials only:
- Print, complete, and return the Request for Post Adoption Services – File Copies by mail only.
- Include a check payable to Holt International in the amount of $25.
- Only one parent’s signature is required.
- To request a copy of your home study and final post-placement report only:
- Print, complete, and return the Request for Post Adoption Services – Home Study form by mail only.
- Include a check payable to Holt International in the amount of $25.
- Both parents must sign the form, even if they are no longer married. If one parent is deceased, please include a copy of his or her death certificate.
- To request a copy of both the U.S. child materials and home study/post-placement reports:
- Print, complete, and return both Request for Post Adoption Services forms by mail only.
- If they are living, both parents must sign the form, regardless of whether or not they are still married. If one parent is deceased, please include a copy of his or her death certificate.
- Include a check payable to Holt International in the amount of $50.
- In approximately 4-6 weeks you’ll receive an email with the documents you requested.
NOTE: All forms must be mailed; no faxed or scanned copies of the forms will be accepted. Mailing instructions are included on the Post Adoption Services Request form.
What Holt will do:
- Confirm that Holt facilitated your adoption and that your child is under age 18.
- Email you the link to the request forms noted above. If your adoption was not facilitated by Holt, you’ll receive an email explaining this.
- Wait for your request forms and applicable fee to arrive by standard mail.
- Retrieve your file from our off-site file storage, usually within 2-3 weeks of receipt of completed request forms.
- Scan your U.S. child material and/or home study reports and forward them to you via email, usually within 3-4 weeks of file retrieval. Time frames may vary.
Due to the very high volume of services we provide to adoptees, adoptive families, and birth families, response times can vary and may be longer than expected. Files are not stored on-site and do take time to retrieve and review. With limited staffing we are unable to update you when the request is received, or when the file arrives at our office.
Please scroll down to read more about file contents and the process in general.
What is in my child’s U.S. file?:
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Generally, the U.S. file will contain your child’s Vietnamese legal documents, child progress reports while they were in care in Vietnam, and their intake photo taken when they were admitted to the Holt program. All of these documents are referred to as their “child material”. Not all files are the same, some have more information, and some have less. Every file is as unique as the adoptee themselves.
How to Request Your Copies:
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File copies must be requested in writing, with your original signature, along with the $25/$50 copy fee. If this fee poses a financial hardship, please notify the Post Adoption Services department. While we appreciate your support for our services, we don’t want the fees to be an prevent you from accessing your file information, and we will be happy to reduce or waive fees when needed. We require these requests in writing with your original signature to help ensure that you, the adoptive parent, are the person actually requesting our services. This is as much for your protection as ours.
To request a copy of your file, we must first confirm that Holt International facilitated your child’s adoption. Once this has been verified, you’ll receive an email and further instructions enabling you to request your file copies. File copies are scanned in color (in most cases) and forwarded via email unless instructed otherwise.