2016 Adoption Issue by Holt International Children's Services

8 Myths

3 Ways

5 Pieces

about special needs adoption

to adopt a child

of advice from adoptees

Page 6

Page 4

Page 16

Page 8

60 YEARS OF

ADOPTEE EXPERIENCE

LEARNING FROM THE LIVES AND STORIES OF HOLT ADOPTEES.Â

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2016 HOLT ADOPTEE GRADUATES!

Holt International Adoption Magazine | 2016 — 2017

in this issue

4 Three Ways to Adopt

The who, what and how of foster care, domestic infant and international adoption.

8 Sixty Years of Adoptee Experience Learning from the lives and stories of Holt adoptees.

14 Adoption: an Adventure Tale

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Holt’s 2016 adoptee essay contest winner shares how adoption has shaped her identity.

20 A Place of Love and Healing For one child facing surgery in China, Peace House is more than a place of healing: it’s a place of love.

22 Graduates Celebrating the Class of 2016 Holt adoptee graduates!

35 Waiting Children These children need loving families. Cover Photo: Kristin and Casey Peddicord with their daughter, who they brought home from China in July 2015. Read more about them on page 30. Photo Credit: Brittany Conner Photography.

Holt International seeks a world where every child has a loving and secure home. Since our founding in 1956, we have worked toward our vision through programs that strengthen and preserve families that are at risk of separation; by providing critical care and support to orphaned and vulnerable children; and by leading the global community in finding families for children who need them and providing the pre- and post-adoption support and resources they need to thrive. Always, we focus on each child’s unique needs — keeping the child’s best interest at the forefront of every decision. Visit www.holtinternational.org to learn more. Holt International Magazine is produced in print and online by Holt International, a nonprofit child welfare organization founded on Christian principles. While Holt International is responsible for the content of Holt International Magazine, the viewpoints expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the organization. Copyright ©2016 by Holt International. ISSN 1047-764

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Holt staff from 13 countries gathered in Eugene, Oregon to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Holt International and to share wisdom, ideas and inspiration as we continue seeking a world where every child has a loving and secure home.

[ FROM THE PRESIDENT ]

n summer 2016, Holt hosted a reunion for the first wave of adoptees to arrive in the United States from Korea in the mid-1950s. Adoptees now in their late 50s and 60s traveled from all over the country to our headquarters in Eugene, Oregon for the event, which brought with it many tears and laughter, and many memories.

evolved throughout the years in response to changes in both society’s understanding of adoption and in our own understanding of the lifelong impact adoption has on adoptees and their families.

This year, Holt celebrates 60 years of serving orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children, and this special reunion is just one of the many ways Holt has looked back in 2016. Over the past six decades, Holt has united over 43,000 children with loving, permanent families through international adoption. Working alongside our dedicated partners and supporters through the years, we have also provided vital services to hundreds of thousands of children and families in the countries where we work — empowering parents to independently care for their children, and enabling children to reach their full, thriving potential. This is truly a milestone worth celebrating! Since Holt’s founding in 1956, international adoption has changed in many ways. In our feature story on page 8, adoptees of different generations reflect on their experience of growing up adopted. This story also explores how international adoption has

Phil Littleton

•

But while international adoption has seen many changes, Holt’s core values and dedication to the children, families and adult adoptees we serve remains the same. Every year, we are honored to share our graduate issue of the magazine — featuring Holt adoptees who recently graduated high school or college. And this year is no exception, with 64 accomplished adoptees gracing the pages of this special issue. As we continue to uplift children and strengthen families around the world, we will always remember those who came before — the now grown adoptees who arrived on that first plane in 1956, the 2016 graduates who now enter the next important phase of their lives, and the thousands of adoptees and families whose lives and stories are an integral part of our extraordinary 60-year history. We hope you find this magazine informative as you begin your adoption journey, and as we at Holt begin the next 60 years of uniting children with families, we also look forward to one day welcoming you into our family — the Holt family.

President & CEO

Our Vision: A world where EVERY CHILD has a loving and secure HOME.

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d l i h C a t p o Ad

TH R E E WAY S TO

FA N T A D O P TI O N D O M ES TI C IN

WHAT IT IS: Families work with an agency or attorney to adopt a baby whose parent(s) feel adoption is the best plan for their child. Families introduce themselves through letters and photos, and birth mothers (and sometimes birth fathers) choose the adoptive family they place their child with. The adoptive family will likely be asked to cover all of the legal fees associated with the adoption as well as any medical costs associated with the mother’s pregnancy. The adoptive family and birth family work together to determine the level of openness they will have as the child grows.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Adoptive family eligibility varies from state to state. In general, adoptive families must demonstrate income adequate to support a family, have a secure and stable family life and meet state-mandated

licensing standards. Eligibility is mostly determined by the birth mother, who may choose a family based on their geographic location, religion, marriage status, physical traits, careers, lifestyle, family size and any other criteria important to her. Single applicants may apply.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE: Timeframes can vary greatly — from four weeks to more than a year — depending on how long it takes for you to be chosen by a birth mother to parent her child, the involvement of the birth father and other family members, the length of her pregnancy and other factors.

COST: Approximately $25-35k

PROS: • You are chosen by a birth mother who feels you’re the best family for her child.

• Typically, you have good medical histories of both the child and birth mother. • Your child and family can have an ongoing relationship with the child’s birth family, which tends to be the most emotionally and socially healthy option for an adopted child.

THINGS TO CONSIDER: • Because you will wait until a birth mother selects your family to parent her child, there is no set timeframe for your adoption process to begin. • Birth parents can change their mind and choose to parent at any time during the pregnancy and many of the fees are not refundable.

DOES HOLT HAVE THIS PROGRAM?: In Illinois, for Illinois residents only.

O P TI O N FO ST ER C A R E A D

WHAT IT IS: To adopt through the U.S. foster care system, families complete the homestudy process and parent training in their state of residence. Children awaiting adoption can be any age, though children older than 5 and sibling groups wait longest for families. Most children have diverse social and ethnic backgrounds and many have experienced abuse or neglect. States may use a committee of child welfare professionals to decide which family is best able to meet the needs of the particular child, or the child’s social worker may select the most appropriate family.

married. There is no minimum length of marriage requirement, but couples must demonstrate stability.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE: Timeframes vary depending on the profile of child you are open to adopting. In general, the entire process will take 1-3 years. Working with a private agency like Holt can speed up the process significantly.

COST: Through the state: Free! Working with a private agency for additional advocacy and more efficient homestudy process: $2,800$5,000, often partially refundable.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

PROS:

Foster care adoption programs have the most open eligibility of any type of adoption. Parents must be at least 21 at the time of application. Applicants can be single or

• Low cost and broad parent eligibility. • Typically, you have good information about a child’s needs, medical background and social development.

• Children may still have contact with their birth families, which is often the most emotionally and socially healthy option for an adopted child.

THINGS TO CONSIDER: • Wait times to receive homestudy services can be staggering if you choose to go through the state (non-agency) process. • Your family may not be chosen to parent a child whose profile you are open to — also affecting your wait time. • As many of the children in foster care have experienced neglect or abuse, you will need to be prepared to parent a child who has experienced trauma.

DOES HOLT HAVE THIS PROGRAM?: In Oregon, for Oregon residents only.

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WHAT IT IS:

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE:

Families adopt a child who has already been legally cleared for adoption in another country. The typical profile of child varies depending on the country you are adopting from, but on average, most boys and girls are between 2-3 years old at the time they arrive home. Most families request to adopt girls, so boys often wait longer to find a family. In 2015, 75 percent of children placed through Holt had some special needs, whether minor and correctable — considered healthy in the U.S. — or more moderate. Many older children, as well as children with more involved special needs, urgently need families.

Although the time it takes to adopt varies by country, on average, the process from application to traveling home takes 18-36 months. Some smaller pilot programs may take a bit longer. However, in some instances, the process may be expedited in less than a year. Holt’s adoption timeframes tend to be stable and predictable from program to program.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Every country sets their own parent eligibility guidelines, and it varies greatly from country to country based on the needs of children. Most parents who adopt are between 25-50 years old. Some countries, like China, allow single women to apply. Most countries have some marriage and income requirements.

COST: Although fees vary by country program, you can expect to pay between $25,00050,000 total, which includes everything from travel to document prep, parent education and more. Due dates for fees are spread throughout the entire adoption process, and financial aid is available.

PROS: • Eligibility, timeframes to adopt and fees are all well established, resulting in fewer unknowns and a more predictable process. • Children available for adoption have

been legally cleared for adoption, so once you are matched with a child, there are few instances where that adoption won’t be completed.

THINGS TO CONSIDER: • Sometimes, there is no information about a child’s birth history or family. • Children placed for international adoption have endured the trauma of losing both their family and their culture. Parents must be committed to receiving ongoing education to ensure they can meet their child’s needs. • During an international adoption, families are usually required to travel once or sometimes twice to finalize their adoption. While this is an amazing chance to learn about your child’s culture, the cost can be high and usually accounts for about one-third of the total cost of an international adoption.

DOES HOLT HAVE THIS PROGRAM?: In all 50 states!

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Special Needs Myths The top 8 myths surrounding special needs adoption and the children who wait for families.

All children with special needs have developmental, physical or medical challenges. Not True! Many factors including gender, age and being part of a sibling group are also considered “special needs.” With some country programs, simply being older than age 3 can cause children to wait longer. These school-aged children have spent more time living in institutional or foster care settings and bring unique challenges and joys to their adoptive families. The child’s history can also be a “special need” as some children have experienced abuse, neglect or trauma and will need special care to overcome those challenges. Holt provides specialized training for families adopting children who have experienced early life trauma as well as lifeling support once you travel home.

Children with special needs are severely disabled and will require lifelong care. While almost all children joining families through international adoption have special needs, very few of them are severely disabled. The majority of children have minor, manageable or correctable conditions. While adopting a child with special needs is not a good fit for every family, many parents grow more open to special needs after researching different types and degrees of medical conditions — or once they learn that “special need” doesn’t always mean a physical or intellectual challenge. During the homestudy process, your social worker will assist you as you consider special needs that your family might be open to.

I will have to go outside my comfort zone when determining what special needs I am open to. Not at all! Families determine their level of comfort when considering age, gender and special needs. What drives the matching process, however, is finding the right family for every child — and what’s best for each child is to be placed with a family who can wholeheartedly embrace their emotional and medical care needs. With that said, you know your family best and are best equipped to determine whether to parent a particular child! If we present a child referral and you choose to decline, there is no penalty. No black mark. No going to the end of an imaginary waiting list. We will simply try again, this time with greater clarity.

All children waiting for adoptive families are on Holt’s waiting child photolisting. Most children never appear on the photolisting! Only children for whom we need extra help finding families have online profiles for families to look through on their own. These children are often older or have more involved special needs, which is why they need us to advocate for them more heavily. Children with more minor needs are matched too quickly to need a photolisting profile. While the photolisting is a tool to find families for children, we don’t ask parents to sift through large numbers of child referrals on their own. Adoption is the decision of a lifetime, and you should have the opportunity to work with as many professionals as possible to inform your decision.

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It’s easier to adopt siblings. Sibling groups of varying sizes are occasionally available for adoption and, although being part of a sibling group is considered a “special need,” we often have more families open to sibling groups than there are sibling groups available. During the matching process, Holt strives to find the best family for every child or sibling group. Families are not encouraged to be open to sibling groups only, but you are welcome to state openness to siblings on your application and homestudy. The majority of families are matched with a single child.

Building a bond with older adopted children is always a struggle. Every child and family is unique. Children who are adopted internationally face some especially unique challenges, and for some families, the transition is relatively smooth while others will work through issues they didn’t expect. We work to ensure that each family is as prepared as possible and has the tools they need to help their older child adjust to their new life in the U.S. During the homestudy process, you will complete parent education training that will empower you with insights about attachment and bonding. And after your adoption is complete, Holt has a clinical services department available to support families with any questions, concerns or resource needs that may arise.

Regardless of his or her special need, it will take many years for my child to come home. Actually, the process to adopt a child with a special need or an older child is currently quicker than the process to adopt a child with no identified special needs, and stands at 12-18 months from application to placement for Holt’s China program. For our other country programs, the timeframe ranges from 18-36 months. The notion that it takes 7-8 years to adopt is just not the case anymore, and that is especially true when adopting a child with special needs.

Only girls need families. Boys need families just as much as girls. In fact, just being a boy can be considered a “special need” in some country programs because boys typically wait so much longer than girls to be matched with families. This myth grew from a time when, following the implementation of China’s one-child policy, girls in China did exceed the number of boys waiting for families. But today, as a result of policy changes and the growth of domestic adoption in China, that is no longer the case — in China or in any other country. Today, most country programs require families to be open to a child of either gender. But with the few countries that do allow families to specify a gender preference, more than 80 percent of families continue to request a girl — leaving many boys waiting.

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Through the years, many Holt adoptees have decided to adopt — making them second-generation adoptive families. Here, Korean adoptee Ky Miller and his family welcome their daughter, Camille, home from Korea in February 2016.

IN THE 60 YEARS SINCE HOLT BEGAN PLACING CHILDREN THROUGH INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION, BOTH THE ADOPTION PROCESS AND THE SERVICES WE OFFER HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY THE STORIES AND LIVES OF THOSE WHO MATTER MOST — ADOPTEES. 8

Si x t y

YEARS OF ADOPTEE

EXPERIENCE & IDENTITY

im Lee grew up the first of five “Johnson kids.” In their neighborhood in suburban Ohio, the Johnsons were something of a celebrity family. Each time Jack and Dorothy Johnson welcomed one of their five children home from Korea, reporters came to their home for interviews and photos and shared about the Johnson kids with the whole city — in the newspaper, her father’s ice cream company union paper and even on television. It was Columbus, Ohio, 1956, and international adoption was something completely new. Now in her early 60s and a mother herself through adoption, Kim still remembers what it was like growing up as a Korean adoptee in a largely white city in the Midwest. “We were a novelty. There were no Asian people there,” she says. “But today, you see so many adoptions.” This year, Holt celebrates our 60th anniversary of uniting children with permanent, loving families through adoption. Sixty years ago, Harry and Bertha Holt founded the first international adoption program. That same year, Kim was among

the first adoptees to come to the U.S — traveling alongside Harry Holt on Holt’s second chartered flight out of Korea in December of 1956. Since that time, much has changed — in both the practice of international adoption, and in our understanding of the complex ways that adoption shapes identity and impacts adoptees throughout their lives. In mid-1950s Korea, our founders felt called and inspired by what they felt was a clear solution to a tremendous need. For children left orphaned or abandoned in the wake of the Korean War, they realized that most of all, these children needed the love and stability of a family. Today, the need continues, but the reasons are varied and complex. Often, it is the stigma of unwed motherhood or a family’s inability to care for their child’s special needs that leaves children all over the world in need of permanent, loving families. Sixty years ago, the Holt Adoption Program began in Korea. Today, Holt International has adoption programs in nine different countries. As Holt has grown over the years, we have also progressed as an organization CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

ABOVE: The newest member of Holt’s board of directors, Kim Lee is also a Holt adoptee and a mother through adoption. Through the years, she has also worked as a child advocate in Korea and as an escort for children coming home to their families. BOTTOM: Over six years, Kim escorted nearly 300 children to their families in the U.S. — memories she has captured in photo collages that now hang on the walls of her home.

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“I THINK IT’S BEEN EASIER FOR ME, AS AN ADOPTEE, TO UNDERSTAND THE ADOPTION PROCESS FOR MY GIRLS.” — MARY MASTERSON

— developing a core philosophy around which we have built robust, child-focused programs that meet the needs of over 83,000 children annually, and enable children to grow and thrive in the loving care of their birth families. Today, about 85 percent of the children we serve are not on track for adoption. But no matter how much care and support is offered, the enduring truth is that not every child can remain or reunite with the family to which they were born. For this reason, we continue in our founders’ legacy of seeking adoptive families for children who truly need them. Both international adoption and Holt as an organization have seen significant changes through the years. But no less important are the more subtle, internal differences that those impacted by adoption have experienced in the past 60 years.

the 1980s, and while working as a flight attendant, Kim began volunteering as a Holt escort — a role once vital to the adoption process, but no longer needed as countries now require families to travel to bring home their child. Over six years, Kim escorted nearly 300 children from their birth country to their home in the United States. She even traveled once with Bertha Holt, meeting her once she arrived in the U.S. then accompanying her to bring children to their families in Chicago and San Francisco. But perhaps her most memorable trip escorting a child was her last one, when in January 1991 she flew home from Korea with her newly adopted son.

“Everyone has their own story,” says Kim, “their own adoption experience.”

While not all adoptees have a life that is so intertwined with Holt and adoption, each has their own journey of processing their adoption and discovering what it means for them in their life. But while each adoptee has their own unique story to tell, generationally, some share a closer experience than others.

While Kim didn’t grow up knowing much about her adoption or her Korean birth culture, she has embraced it later in her life through frequent trips to Korea, her personal advocacy efforts for vulnerable children and a strong connection and partnership with Holt. Beginning in

“There’s certainly been some evolution and some changes [in adoption],” says Holt’s director of adoptee services, Steve Kalb, who is both a licensed social worker and a Holt adoptee himself. Steve is also currently working toward a doctorate in adoption discourse. He says

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these changes in adoption and adoptee experience correspond loosely to three different generations of international adoptees. The very first generation of Holt adoptees united with their families in the late 1950s and early 1960s. When these early adoptees came home, international adoptees — and mixed-race families — were a new phenomena in many communities in the U.S. Almost all were adopted from Korea and when they came home, parents and adoption professionals presumed that it would be easiest for them to assimilate into mainstream society as quickly as possible. This was in part influenced by the 1950s culture of conformity and “fitting in.” While it was never an issue for Kim or her siblings, the attention her family received by the media made it very clear that they were “different.” For other families, this same experience of being “different” was felt, but to perhaps a lesser — or less public — extent. Such was the experience for Mary Masterson, an adoptive mother to two girls adopted from China and herself a Korean adoptee who grew up in the small rural community of Stayton, Oregon. “It was never held from us that we

were adopted,” Mary says. “But there also wasn’t a lot of trying to focus on retaining our culture.” She says that she and her siblings tried to blend in more than anything. But as she’s gotten older, Mary, too, has come to identify more strongly with her adoption and birth culture. Especially meaningful for her was traveling to Korea on a Holt heritage tour. “Even though it was as late as I did,” she says of the trip, which she took in 1999, “it was kind of closing the loop.” The experience was an emotional one for her, especially when visiting care centers. “I kept thinking that I was like these children in the orphanages when I was a toddler,” Mary says. Connecting with Korea also had a profound impact on her future. “I think the heritage tour reinforced my desire to adopt,” Mary says. She took the trip just two years after her mother had passed away, and after the trip she decided to use her inheritance to adopt her two girls, Malia and Meiling — a decision she said her mother would have been thrilled by. Adoptees who came home between 1970 and 1990 can be loosely defined as the second generation of international adoptees. By this time, Holt was placing children from not just Korea, but also Vietnam, Thailand, India and even Ec-

uador and Romania. And this time many agencies, including Holt, took a different approach to adoption. While there was no formal pre-adoption curriculum for adoptive parents during this time, many adoption professionals encouraged adoptive parents to introduce adoptees to as much about their birth culture as possible. This philosophy came in response to the lack of connectedness many first-generation adoptees felt. Steve grew up in this second generation of adoptees, and he remembers feeling confused about the strong emphasis on his Korean birth culture. “My parents were saying, ‘Korea is really special,’” he says. He remembers his parents giving him rice shoes and a book of Korean folk tales as a way to stay connected with his birth culture. “But it just didn’t have any relevance or salience in my life,” Steve says. Through his own personal experience and research as an adoption professional and scholar, Steve says this is a feeling shared by many adoptees of his generation. While his parents lovingly and with good intentions instilled the importance of his Korean birth culture, he felt torn. “Society was telling me something different,” Steve says. “Society was telling me I should be white and I should act CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

LEFT: Together with her daughters Meiling and Malia, Mary Masterson has made an effort to connect with the adoptee, Chinese and Korean communities in their hometown of Portland, Oregon. MIDDLE: Pictured here with his family, Steve Kalb, Holt’s director of adoptee services, is a second-generation Korean adoptee who grew up in a small farming community in Iowa. RIGHT: Steve Kalb talks to a group of adoptees at the 2016 Holt Adoptee Camp in Oregon.

LEFT: As her daughters grow up, Mary is intentionally and gradually introducing them to their Chinese birth culture. Malia and Meiling learn Mandarin in school and this past spring break, they all took a school trip to China.

like everybody else. And everybody else around me wasn’t saying how important Korea is. They’re just saying how normal you should be by playing basketball or running track or playing music.” While like Kim and Mary, some adoptees have come to embrace their birth culture later in life, growing up many felt as Steve did — that it was mostly just confusing. “Unless you’re living in the culture, you can’t just tell someone that it’s important,” Steve says. “Adoptees don’t really have any real ties to it except your parents telling you that it should be important to you.” Over the past 60 years, Holt has learned from the first two generations of adoptees — gaining a greater understanding about how best to prepare adoptive families and adoptees for lifelong success. For the third and current generation of adoptees — who began coming home around 1990 — Holt now provides their parents with a detailed education informed by lessons from the first two generations. Holt’s parent education curriculum now includes a module about race and racism, explores adoptee identity and recommends neither over-emphasizing the child’s birth culture nor leaving it out completely. It’s important for adoptees to recognize their uniqueness as an adoptee, Steve says, but also feel confident about fitting in with society as a whole. This shift is evident in the post-adoption realm as well. “Things have been shifting a bit here at Holt to focus on the adoptee identity and working with what’s relevant to them,” Steve says. In 2006, the Holt Adoptee Camp program made the shift from a birth culture focus to a focus on adoption culture. Campers participate in group conversations about race, racism, adoption, birth parents and

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identity development. “Those are the things that we focus on just so we can relieve some of the pressure that they feel,” Steve says. All parents desire for their children to grow up happy, well-balanced and confident — with a healthy sense of who they are. For adoptees, achieving this sense of self often includes processing their thoughts and feelings about adoption, their birth family and culture, and who they are in light of these unique experiences. Mary Masterson recognizes that her girls, Malia, 15, and Meiling, 13, have had a different experience than she did growing up as an adoptee. “For my girls, I feel their adoption experience is more seamless,” Mary says. This is in part because, although Mary is Korean and the girls are Chinese, most people assume that they are all biologically related. But this is also because adoption is now more normalized and accepted within society and U.S. culture. “[Malia and Meiling] know they are adopted, but they don’t feel that this is an extraordinary or exceptional experience because they have grown up knowing a number of other adoptees like themselves,” Mary says. The Masterson family has made an effort to interact with other adoptees and people who are Asian. “I think it’s easier when you see people who look like you,” Mary says. “It just makes it more natural feeling, being able to identify yourself as Asian rather than thinking you don’t want to be Asian because nobody around you is.” And as a parent to adoptees, Mary considers her own adoptee experience to be a helpful resource. “I think it’s been easier for me, as an

adoptee, to understand the adoption process for my girls,” Mary says. She intentionally makes adoption part of the casual, everyday conversation in their home — not overstating its role in her daughters’ lives, but recognizing its presence. In effect, her girls have grown up knowing that it’s a part of them, but having the healthy sense that it’s not the entirety of their identity. “It hasn’t really changed how we act,” says 15-year-old Malia. “It’s just there.” Sharing the experience of growing up adopted has, however, created a closer bond between Mary and her daughters. “[As adoptees], you just have this unspoken sense of understanding that you don’t even have to explain,” she says. “They know how you feel, what you’re thinking and vice-a-versa — you just kind of have that invisible bond.” This bond between adoptees — and the identity that adoptees find as they recognize how their life can encompass multiple places, families and cultures — is what many adoptees prioritize today. Through pre-adoption parent trainings, birth country tours, assisting with birth parent searches and other post-adoption services such as Holt Adoptee Camp, Holt is dedicated to helping adoptees develop their own unique identity. As an agency, we celebrate how far adoption has come in 60 years, and strive to continue growing in our understanding of how best to serve adoptive families and adoptees throughout their lives. “Hopefully,” Mary says, “the changes that have occurred over these past 30-40 years have helped to ensure that most international adoptions are successful and result in well-adjusted adoptees and families.”

Megan Herriott • Staff Writer

ADOPTION THEN

NOW

SO MUCH HAS CHANGED IN 60 YEARSâ&#x20AC;Ś Countries: In 1955, Harry and Bertha Holt founded the first international adoption agency â&#x20AC;&#x201D; placing children through the Holt Adoption Program in Korea.

Countries: Today, Holt is able to place children from nine different countries, including Korea, China, India, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Haiti, Ethiopia and domestically within the U.S.

Communication: Adoptive parents would send telegrams and letters to correspond with and learn about their child.

Communication: Adoptive parents receive photos, can send care packages and some can even Skype with their child!

In-Country Care: Most children lived in orphanage care.

In-Country Care: Many children now live with a nurturing foster family while they wait.

Traveling Home: Children did not meet their adoptive parents until their arrival in the U.S. with a Holt escort.

Traveling Home: To make the transition easier for the child, parents now travel overseas to bring their child home.

Post Adoption: As the first international adoptees had not yet come of age, few resources were developed to help adopted children and families.

Post Adoption: Through parenting education and post-adoption services, Holt provides lifelong support and resources for families and adoptees.

It all began when Harry and Bertha Holt adopted eight children from Korea.

Since 1956, Holt has united over 43,000 children with permanent families through international adoption.

To learn more about adoption today, visit holtinternational.org.

An Essay By

Noel Hincha

adoption:

AN ADVENTURE TALE In her winning submission to Holt’s 2016 adoptee essay contest, Noel Hincha explores how adoption has shaped her identity. Noel is currently a student at Marquette University in Wisconsin. I am never one to become sentimental off the basis of adoption. However, it has perhaps created an indefinite identity crisis. All of life is a journey to find the true self – no doubt physically, spiritually and emotionally – through a turbulent ebb and flow of joy and peril. At the ripe age of fresh-out-the-womb, a family member wrapped me in a white and red cloth and

set me down on the steps of a Chinese orphanage: Changde, Hunan, China. Surrounding me was a small farmland, smelling of rural labor and river fish being pulled up by the rusty hooks of a smiling old man with wrinkled lines. It probably was an awkward goodbye – as all seem to be – but maybe a tear or two fell upon my cheeks. When the morning sun rose to a higher degree, it hit my eyes, a crystal light reflecting off the morning dew. I was Chinese, Chang Jing.

2016 WINNER!

Adoptee Essay Contest At the age of one, my caretaker lifted me into a car filled with others like me, and in a few hours, they would be engraved as my sisters – my family unconditionally. Down a dim hallway she carried me until a white woman picked me up. I cried and wailed – a natural encounter with an exotic foreigner. The atmosphere consisted of anxiety, joy and tears. In the eye of the storm, a calm chaos of shaking hands between each other and alone in silence. Babies crying, women crying, men crying. Chinese crying, Americans crying. I was scared and sweating with layers and layers of clothing, of culture, one by one being stripped away. Mesmerizing, green eyes staring into soft, brown eyes. I was Chinese, Noel Jing. At the age of 7, I was rambunctious and carefree: a smart child with jokes running wild out of a witty tongue. Two ponytails swayed behind my back in a valiant effort to imitate Sailor Moon, but she was blonde. A classmate hollered my name, “Hey, why are your eyes like this?” He squinted, pulling back his own chocolate skin and covering his eyes into unmerciful slits. “My mom was Chinese, my dad was Japanese, and now I’m Swiss cheese.” Then: laughter, my own laughter distraught with confusion. I had an American heart in a Chinese body. Who was I to assimilate with? All I wanted was snack time and recess. I was American, Noel. At the age of 12, I was awkward – as all are when adolescence bellows in. Little boys began to grow, and I was no longer the tallest. I was shrinking. Girls started gossiping, and fun wasn’t games but shopping. I was calm and I was changing, yet still, the very mention of Asian culture froze my being, silenced my thoughts. I had xenophobia: I irrationally feared Chinatown, intentionally avoided “real” Asians, and gladly excused Chinese food. I didn’t know how to feel, how to react, what to feel. It was my culture, but I wasn’t them. I wasn’t anyone. I was stuck in the middle with one foot in rice and one foot in pizza – both feet burning. Pushed back, into the depth of my mind. I was Chinese-American, Noel. At the age of 15, I was shy and unknowing, but above all I was determined. I studied hard, educa-

tion was important. My mom was a teacher. I sat in my itchy, wool plaid skirt and maroon polo. My hair hung down in an assortment of dyed colors – the rebellious phase of a stirring youth. My converse were ripped and shredded, stains of adventure treaded through a predominantly white, Catholic all-girls high school in the most segregated city in America. My environment compelled me to embrace the most prominant feature that proved my individuality and uniqueness. In a sea of iPhones, Starbucks and country music, I bragged my Korean-made Samsung, hot tea and K-pop. A sincere math teacher passed back our first test of the year: an A. “What did you get? Of course, because you’re Asian!” I was Asian, Noel. At the age of 19, I was confident and capable. I learned the subtle art of race and identity. I appreciated the beauty of culture — admittedly it was like a drug. An addiction formed: I wanted travel, writing, people, adventure. Adoption wasn’t a mistake or a trouble, but an act of fate. I strolled around an alluring campus, taking in the crisp air of spring and the chill of Lake Michigan. Friendships formed and futures solidified. I wasn’t planning on becoming a doctor or an engineer. I started a major in anthropology. I was American to my Chinese friends. I was Chinese to my American friends. Superficial identities troubled me little, and personal identities began to grow. My being wasn’t the property of societal expectations. I was simply human; I was Noel Jing — Chang Jing. So, here I lie on a tight rope between human cultures. I was born in China, I grew up in America. I know English and am learning French. My mother commands me in German while my friends laugh with me in Spanish. I eat fried rice, tacos and casseroles with chopsticks, fingers and forks. Yes, culture defines one’s self, but I think my label deserves more than its physical characteristics and stereotypical agenda. It’s not necessarily an identity crisis. More or less, it’s an adventure to finding one’s self. Perhaps, those who are adopted have a little more adventure to contend with.

www.holtinternational.org 15

5 pieces of advice

from transracial adoptees If you’re considering adoption, chances are you are inundated with advice. Whether from friends or family, whether encouraging or downright insensitive, you’re likely hearing lots of voices tell you which country to adopt from, what pitfalls to avoid and how to parent your child. But when it comes to adoption, especially about how to be an awesome parent to an adopted child, some of the best advice is going to come from the people who have lived it — adoptees themselves. Here are five pieces of advice from adult adoptees living across the United States.

16 www.holtinternational.org

Nisha Grayson | California Surround your whole family with people who not only physically resemble your child, but also people who share their same home country, state and/or village. Being a Goan adoptee from India, I find myself uncomfortable around large groups of Indian people. Even until this day, I have not met any Goans here in California. Express an authentic interest in traveling to your child’s home country. Your child had no choice in leaving their home country so it’s your responsibility to keep them connected until they can choose for themselves.

Mark Waugh | New York Still to this day, my parents send me a gift on my adoption birthday. In the early years of my life, I always reminded my friends I had two birthdays — and boy were they jealous. Reflecting back, that gave me a chance to be proud that I was adopted and to stand up for who I am. This also gave my parents a chance to vocalize how happy and blessed they are to have me.

Cameron Small | Wisconsin Settings like summer camp or discussion/support groups can be incredibly helpful as adoptees receive affirmation and validation in the process of hearing each other’s stories. The sense of safety and empowerment in that type of setting will also encourage adoptees to develop their own voices and identities. Spaces like this are actually more common than you’d think. Check out your adoption agency for a list of all the resources in your area.

Christopher McGinn | Pennsylvania Tough discussions like racism, identity, abandonment or birth searching are a normal thing and I know they may seem like scary things to touch on, but it’s part of being an adoptee. Even though you may not truly understand what’s going through their heads, just having an open avenue of communication can demonstrate that it’s okay for a child to feel and talk about these things and they don’t have to go through it alone. As bonus advice, I would suggest sending them to Holt Camp. It’s an experience that helped me become more comfortable with who I am and it’s a fun time!

Malini Baker | Washington My advice to adoptive parents is to as soon as you can — or whenever your child asks — let your child know their story, where they came from and what happened. Don’t do it all at once, however. Progress as they grow, as they will understand better as they get older. And talk to them about their adoption! Don’t try and make it seem like they weren’t adopted. Talk to them.

COMING Adoptees from different countries describe what the adoption process was like for them, and what life was like during their first few weeks in the United States.

HOME Zack

Zack Gremillion spent 13 years in an orphanage in China before coming home to his family in Texas. Here, Zack’s mom, Whitney, interviews her son about his adoption experience. Whitney Gremillion: Zack, how did you feel knowing that you had been matched with us and you’d be going home to a family?

Haitian adoptee Martine Moore came home to her family at age 10. Now 18, Martine shares her perspective on the adoption process.

Zack Gremillion: Excited, and happy. And I knew I had a good family. I was crying. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

Martine

It was very exciting to hear that a family was coming for me. I had seen other families come for my friends, and I saw how happy they were, and how excited their parents were. So when the director told me I was going to get adopted, everyone was happy for me, and so was I. We were happy that we got to come to America. I had an idea about how life would be in the United States, an idea that we all had dreamed about: we would have lots of pretty clothes, lots of toys to play with, TV to watch, our own room, and we would get to go shopping. We would get to do things that we did not get to do in the orphanage. While I waited, I still went to school and church and continued to live like we live in the orphanage. CONTINUED ON PAGE 19 »

WOWIE

Wowie Ketner was adopted from the Philippines in 2013 at the age of 13. Holt International: What was it like to hear that a family was coming for you?

HI: Did you spend time with your family in the Philippines before you left for the United States? What did you do?

Wowie Ketner: It was enjoyable, amazing and great because I was going to get to see my new mom and dad in person.

WK: Yes! We went to Star City Amusement Park, the mall several times, Manila Ocean Park and several places to eat!

HI: How did you feel when you had to leave your friends?

HI: What was it like to fly on a plane and go somewhere you had never been before? Does a memory of your travels to the U.S specifically stand out to you?

WK: It was a powerful moment when I had to say goodbye to all the brothers I had known from 5 to 12 years old. They had been my family, like a brotherhood. HI: What was it like seeing your parents for the first time? WK: It felt awesome to finally have my own parents and brother and sisters of my own. I was happy to see what they looked like. I said thank you to God and ‘great to see you’ to my family.

WK: It was scary. I was nervous and wondered how the plane could fly in the sky with no help. I wondered what would happen if the plane broke down or something. I remember being overwhelmed by seeing so many people in one place. HI: What advice would you give to other children waiting for their families? WK: Don’t lose hope. Keep trying no matter how hard it is.

sisters, and I would love them. I thought Texas would be cold and that it would have snow. I thought I would have a TV and video games in my room. School would be like my school in China, and we would not change classes. I thought I would eat steak all the time and that it would taste good! WG: How did you prepare to come home to us?

Zack, cont. from page 17. WG: What were you told your life would be like in the United States? ZG: My life would be great. I would live in a beautiful city with nice people. I thought I would have little brothers and

ZG: I tried really hard to learn English. I told my nanny that I really wanted to make gifts for my family and she helped me. I began to feel nervous because I didn’t have enough clothes to wear. My nanny told me that my parents would buy me clothes. I told my friends goodbye and gave them hugs, and I told them I loved them. I cried, because I was leaving my friends. But I was happy that I had a new family. WG: Zack, how did you feel knowing you would soon have to say goodbye to

Wowie enjoys quality time with members of his family.

your friends and caregivers? ZG: I felt a little bit sad to say goodbye to my friends. I told them that I would see them in the United States someday. I told my nannies goodbye and that I would see them again when I grew up. When I had to say goodbye, I was sad, because the orphanage had taken care of me for 13 years. I loved many of these kids for 13 years. Many of my friends were sad because I was leaving. WG: What was it like seeing your dad and me for the first time? ZG: I was a little bit nervous and happy. You were really tall! I knew you loved me a lot, because you wouldn’t stop crying. Daddy was smiling a lot. You hugged me. I felt like you were happy to meet me. I gave you presents I made for you. I showed you my photo albums and some art that I had made. I asked where my mae mae (little sister) was. I thought you would give me an iPad. I told you that I wanted to eat steak.

Martine with her friends in Haiti; and with her family in the United States.

Martine, cont. from page 17. I felt very sad that I was going to leave. It was worst leaving my friends, knowing that I wouldn’t ever be able to see them again. I had lived with them for as long as I could remember; they were a family to me and leaving them was a bittersweet moment. When it was the actual day to leave, it was a scary, happy moment. I remembered saying goodbye to my housemothers and to the cook and to my friends, hugging each one of them and getting their cell phone numbers so

WG: We spent some time in China together. Do you remember what we did and where we went? ZG: We went outside to see a zoo and the beautiful city of Wuhan. We went to a museum, and I was excited because I’d been there before with my orphanage. I got sick a lot on the bus and in the taxi, because I hadn’t been in cars much. I kissed you on the cheek all the time, because I loved you so much. WG: What was it like to fly on a plane and go somewhere you had never been before? ZG: I was scared at first. I was so high! It was beautiful to fly at nighttime. I was ready to get off the plane, but I was nervous to see America. WG: What was it like to be in your new home? ZG: At first, I was scared of the dogs, because I had never been around dogs

I could call them once I got to America. They were saying, ‘Do not forget me, Martine,’ and I never did forget them. Seeing my family for the first time was very cool. I realized that I was going to spend the rest of my life with them. They were very kind, but I was also very scared and shy. I do not remember saying anything to them. When I got to my new house, I remembered sharing a room with my sister and what the room looked like. I remember what it was like at the dinner table, everyone was talking except me. I did

not understand what they were saying and it was frustrating. When we went to church, a lot of people came to meet me and started giving me hugs and I didn’t know them. They were trying to speak to me and, of course, I did not understand them, so I would hide. For the children still waiting for families, I would say: be patient and pray, because God is going to put you in a wonderful family — a family who is going to love you. And learn a little bit of English first, so you are not totally lost, like I was.

before. And cats. And in the morning when I woke up, I was so hungry. Then Mom told me I could eat whenever I wanted to here. I had my own room. I got a little lost in the house. My little brother and sister jumped on the trampoline, but I was too nervous at first. Mom told me that I didn’t have to do my own laundry anymore. Daddy helped me pick clothes. WG: If you could give some advice to children waiting to meet their families, what would it be? ZG: I would tell them that I came from China, too, and that I can speak to them in Chinese if they are scared or nervous. I would tell them that America is beautiful and there are lots of toys here. You can’t understand your family at first, and that is hard. Keep working, and you will learn English quickly. I would tell them not to cry and be sad waiting.

www.holtinternational.org 19

PLACE

Love

AND

Healing

At Peace House, Holt’s medical foster home in China, Zoe Thomas finds the nurturing care she needs to recover from cleft lip surgery before traveling home to the U.S. with her adoptive family.

n November 11, 2014, Dan and I received news from our adoption social worker that a beautiful 7-month-old girl from Liangjiang, China needed a forever family. Our social worker also shared that the baby had a cleft lip and palate and would stay at Peace House while recovering from cleft lip surgery. We were thrilled to receive this fantastic news! Dan and I anxiously started to prepare our home for the arrival of our precious baby girl, Zoe Kaihua Thomas. Peace House is a place where children with medical needs receive nurture and loving care while waiting for their adoptive families to bring them home. As we continued our adoption paperwork, our daughter traveled from Liangjiang orphanage to Peace House in Beijing. When Zoe arrived at Peace House, Dan and I were told that Zoe was underweight and had to wait for her cleft lip surgery. Each month, we received updates of our daughter’s medical records along with pictures and videos. We received reports that she was growing in height and weight, eating well and looking happy and healthy! ABOVE: Janelle holds her daughter as she stands beside the crib where Zoe slept at Peace House. RIGHT: Two-year-old Zoe sits on a bench her father made for her. Zoe received her first cleft lip surgery while in China, and more surgeries once home. RIGHT CORNER: While waiting for Zoe to come home, Janelle and Dan Thomas received regular photos and updates about their daughter. Here, a Peace House caregiver holds 10-month-old Zoe, two months before her family traveled to China to bring her home.

A few months later we received an email that Zoe would undergo cleft lip surgery in January of 2015. Just a few days after Zoe’s surgery, we received pictures and a good surgeon’s report. We were impressed by how well Zoe looked just a few days after surgery. Now, Zoe was able to eat better and started to gain more weight at a faster pace. Dan and I were thankful to receive all of our daughter’s progress reports. We played these videos and looked at her pic-

tures every day and night. We also sent small care packages to Zoe, including a family photo album that the caregivers shared with her. We were falling more in love and feeling more connected to Zoe as we continued receiving information about her. Dan and I just couldn’t wait to meet our beautiful daughter and thank these wonderful people for taking good care of her! When Zoe’s “gotcha day” finally arrived on April 18, 2015, we pulled up to a high-rise condominium in Beijing. As we entered Peace House, we were instantly overjoyed as we saw our new daughter in the arms of a Peace House caregiver. We walked into a large, bright and cheery playroom filled with children receiving hugs and kisses from their caregivers. There were learning toys, baby gear and a colorful matted floor. As the caregiver placed Zoe Kaihua in our arms, we cried joyful tears. Finally, after months of prayer, we had our daughter. The people at Peace House gave us a tour of the place. It was the size of a spacious, two-bedroom condominium in which they care for 8 -10 children at a time. In one of the two bedrooms, they showed us the crib where Zoe slept every night. The caregivers slept in another bedroom, beside a full bathroom, kitchen and the large playroom area, which looked like a typical daycare in the U.S. We could truly see the love and joy that filled all these rooms. Dan and I had such a great time learning more about our daughter from the caregivers. They shared her daily feeding schedule, play time and sleep time. Since

WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE LOVING CARE THAT PEACE HOUSE HAS GIVEN TO OUR DAUGHTER. TODAY, ZOE IS A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2-YEAR-OLD.

just her cleft lip — but not yet her cleft palate — had been repaired, they demonstrated how to feed Zoe using a special bottle. They even gave us a large jar of formula and rice cereal to take back to the hotel. By showing us Zoe’s consistent routine — a routine she had grown used to — the Peace House staff really helped smooth our attachment with Zoe. While at Peace House, we also received a visit from a local Chinese family. They shared that they and many other Chinese families had raised money to pay for Zoe’s cleft lip surgery. Dan and I were surprised

to hear this wonderful news. The family gave us a beautiful picture scrapbook of all the families that donated and shared their well wishes with us — showing that God was not only taking care of our daughter, but also our financial needs. We are forever grateful for all the loving care that Peace House has given to our daughter. Today, Zoe is a happy and healthy 2-year-old. She attached very well to us — better than we ever expected — and calls us Mommy and Daddy. Zoe had her first cleft palate and ear tubes surgery in September. She will need one

more bone graft surgery on her maxilla bone and will need extensive orthodontic treatment in the near future. Dan and I want to thank Peace House for all the hugs and kisses they gave Zoe. For changing all her stinky diapers, feeding her and teaching her motor skills for six months of her young life, Peace House gave Zoe the biggest investment a child could ever have... LOVE! I Cor. 13:4-8.

Janelle Thomas • Exton, PA

CONGRATULATIONS

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We are so proud of the Class of 2016 Holt adoptee graduates! Whether they are beginning college, starting their professional life or pursuing a dream, we know they will all go on to do great things. Congratulations!

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Bales, Natalie — Medford, OR; valedictorian, honors diploma, AP scholar, Torch Honor Society, Soroptimist Student of the Month, Medford Rotary scholarship, soccer, basketball, tennis, 2015 grad. Studying neuroscience at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. (China)

Cohoon, Joshua — Buffalo, WY; magna cum laude. Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, CO. Plans to gain experience in the field of social work by working with at-risk children before attending graduate school. (Korea)

Bankert, Chantel — Hanover, PA; National Honor Society (NHS), Music NHS, 4-year top honors. Plans to study veterinary medicine at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA. (China)

Corgan, Danielle — Goodyear, AZ; NAU Lumberjack scholarship. Plans to study biomedical sciences at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. (China)

Borrie, Elizabeth — Woolwich Township, NJ; graduate assistant. Master’s degree in occupational therapy from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. Plans to work as an occupational therapist. (Korea)

Crosswhite, Lila — Tampa, FL; Bachelor’s degree in commercial music from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA. (China)

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Browne, Joseph — Trabuco Canyon, CA; U.S. Army National Scholarship student, honors graduate. Bachelor of Science in biology from UCLA. Plans to serve as an artillery officer assigned to the 25th Infantry Division Tropic Lightning in Honolulu, HI for three years. (Philippines) Bryan, Jillian — Sioux Falls, SD; concert choir. Bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. Plans to work as a social worker. (Korea) Bullock, Abigail — Portland, OR; track and field. Plans to study psychology and international studies at George Fox University in Newberg, OR. (China)

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Buntgen, Nicole — David City, NE; NHS, speech, one act, Platinum Dance, STAY-U, student counsel, school website, yearbook, film club. Plans to study journalism at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. (Korea)

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Campbell, Ujala — Springfield, MO; Dean’s list. Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from the University of Western Kentucky in Bowling Green. Plans to work in the legal field in Kearny, NE. (India) Casaregola, Maya —St. Louis, MO; honors grad, orchestra concertmaster, Civitas-St. Louis, statewide Model UN, Urban Go team. Plans to study political science at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO. (China) Cassin, August — Galloway, NJ; Plans to study biology at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. (Korea)

Crowley, Cailyn — Independence, MO; Board of Education Top 1 percent scholarship, Patriots Scholar Award for Industrial Arts, Project Lead the Way senior showcase winner, NHS, French NHS, McCoy Award for Academic Excellence, letters in academics and robotics, AP Scholar award, National Society of High School Scholars. Plans to study electrical engineering and computer engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. (China) Curry, Alyssa — Columbus, NE; top 10 percent of class honors, 4.0 GPA honor roll, four-year letter winner in softball, basketball and tennis, all-conference academic honors and second-degree black belt in taekwondo. Plans to study biology and pre-med at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. (Korea) Daniels, Eva — Chesapeake, VA; Venture Crew 996, Explorer Post 800 Jr. EMP, Long Island University High School Summer Honors Institute, volunteer at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, photography and videography. Plans to study nursing at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. (China) De la Cruz, Peter — Lake Stevens, WA; National Technical Honor Society, language arts scholar. Plans to study computer information technology at Everett Community College in Everett, WA. (Korea) Douglas, Miles — Gresham, OR; choir, band, soccer. Plans to pursue options in the military. (Thailand) Edwards, Jaydee — Tyler, TX; academic high honors, perfect attendance, Rotary Young Leadership and Outstanding Senior award, choir president, cross country, drumline, NHS, all-region

Twins Jamie and Emily Mustian are both planning to attend universities in Virginia.

choir, TAPPS district and state speech. Plans to study chemistry and photography at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR. (Korea) Elwood, Derek — Hillsborough, NJ; NHS, National Art Honor Society, peer mentor. Plans to study fine art at The Cooper Union in New York. (Korea) Fields, Zoë — Laramie, WY; NHS, student athletic trainer, NHSS, letter in sports medicine, 4.0 GPA. Plans to study kinesiology and health/premed at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. (China) Firstman, Erin — Beaverton, OR; Plans to study English, secondary education and Spanish at Oregon State University in Corvallis. (Vietnam) Gansen, Lindsey — Geneva, IL; dance and flute. Plans to study nursing at Waubonsee Community College and Aurora University. (China) Gilbertson, Emily — Calabasas, CA; salutatorian, 2015 grad. Studying piano performance at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. (China) Goodelman, Morgan — Las Vegas, NV. Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and molecular biology from Chapman University in Orange, CA. (China) Haas, Eden — Muscatine, IA; art club, swim team, four-year perfect attendance. Plans to study art at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. (China) Haase, Helena — Pleasanton, CA; AMIGOS de las Americas, softball. Plans to study psychology at Clark University in Worcester, MA. (Korea) Hall, Lucia — Alma, MI; cum laude graduate. Plans to study technology and business at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, MI. (China) Hanson, Kora — Omaha, NE; cheerleading, cheerleading state champions, NHS, 4.0 GPA honors. Plans to study medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville. (Korea) Hebert, David — Wyckoff, NJ; soccer, track, Spanish NHS, senior ambassador. Plans to study business at the University of Colorado Boulder. (Korea)

laude, honors student, honors research funding recipient, Psi Chi Honor Society in psychology, Utah Association for Music Therapy, American Music Therapy Association. Bachelor of Science in music therapy and psychology from Utah State University in Logan. Plans to become a credentialed music therapist and obtain a master’s degree in music therapy. (China) Kelley, Karen — Las Vegas, NV; NHS, orchestra, Senior Orchestra award, Nevada All-State Orchestra, Nevada Command Performance finalist, Varsity Quiz, Music Teacher’s National Association Competition, Henderson Symphony Orchestra Young Artist’s Competition winner, University of New Mexico Amigo Scholarship, University of New Mexico Department of Music Scholarship, 2015 grad. Studying violin performance and string pedagogy at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. (China)

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Knight, Nathan — Monmouth, OR; wrestling, theater. Plans to study veterinary science at Oregon State University in Corvallis. (Korea) Kunst, Emily — Stevensville, MI; cheer, softball, volleyball, Key Club, NHS. Plans to study dietetics at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant. (China) Latarski, Spencer — Eugene, OR; ultimate frisbee. Bachelor of Science in general social science from the University of Oregon in Eugene. Plans to pursue post-graduate classes and internships. (Korea) McChane, Jayda — Kingwood, TX; Kingwood High School practice teaching internship, Key Club, gymnastics. Plans to study elementary education at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX. (China) McClure-Hinds, Amanda — York, NE; Bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Plans to “open the world to students in her 7-12th grade classroom.” (Korea) McClure, Danny — York, NE; graduating from York High School. Plans to “keep making people smile and to take good care of his mom.” (Korea)

Jones, Madelon — Thayne, WY; soccer, speech and debate, AYLP member, state 4-H leadership team, Daniels Fund scholar, NHS, youth soccer coach. Plans to study health science at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. (China)

Michaels, Sudha — Andover, MA; Treble Chorus of New England, Excellence in Contemporary Text award. Plans to study early childhood education and human development at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA. (India)

Keaton, Danielle — Fort Bragg, CA; magna cum

Miller, Claire — Bucyrus, OH; four-year letter in

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swimming, marching band, NHS, Girls Booster Club, yearbook club, art club, 4-H. Plans to study political science at the College of Wooster in Wooster, OH. (China) Moore, Martine — Williamston, SC; taekwondo second ey degree black belt. Plans to study ds elementary education at Anderson University in iL n , Anderson, SC. (Haiti) n

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Stackhouse Ferriby, Benjamin — Hamden, CT; choir, studio singers, state and national choir, Tanglewood Vocal Artists program. Plans to study vocal performance at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. (Korea) Stackhouse Ferriby, Luke — Hamden, CT; cross country, indoor track, outdoor track. Bachelor’s lie degree ta in sports management from Sacred Heart a University in Fairfield, CT. Plans to work as a ,N les university athletic director. (Korea)

fine art and fashion design at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. (China) Mustian, Jamie — Richmond, VA; martial arts fourth degree, NHS, Mu Alpha Theta. Plans to ph study neuroscience at Virginia Tech se in Blackso burg. (China) ,J

Phillips, Benjamin — Riverton, ow IA; salutatorian, Br band, choir, speech, football, basketball, track, Eagle Scout. Plans to study kinesiology at Iowa State University in Ames. (Korea) Pitts, Lily — aOmaha, NE; NHS, International Bacal calaureate Uj Diploma candidate. Plans to attend , the University of Nebraska Omaha. (Korea) ell

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This year’s graduates include adoptees from China, Haiti, India, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam!

na An , g er b z t

Steinitz, Hope — Towson, MD; cross country, track and field, indoor track, Distinguished Athlete, scholar athlete. Plans to study social work at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA. (China) Strybel, Emma — Louisville, KY; Believe Club, academic achievement, Louisville Ballet School, an Fleur De Lis Academy of Ballet. iJ lli Plans to study , dance at the University of nSt. a Francis in Fort Wayne, IN. (China) Bry Suhr, Evan — Front Royal, VA; soccer. Plans to attend Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, VA. (Korea)

Sullivan,stKathryn — Carlsbad, CA; placed in u senior ughonors research competition, Society A , ofnWomen Engineers, Biomedical Engineering si sSociety, Material Advantage, graduating with a award. Plans to attend Front Range Community C university and college of engineering honors. College in Fort Collins, CO. (Korea) Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering, Reposa, Samuel — Eugene, OR; Plans to study materials science and engineering from Carnegie secondary education at Lane Community College Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Plans to earn in Eugene, OR. (Korea) her doctorate in bioengineering at the University li yn a of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Korea) C Ritnour, Jordyn — Valley, NE; Student of the y, sa Year, four-year academic letter,lechorus, jazz and Swartzberg, Anna — Franklin Lakes, ys NJ; NHS, l w o A marching band, praise team, student council, tennis, cheer,y,lacrosse, NJIC Cr Nebraska All-State r r band, AP Honor scholar. Plans to study microu Female Athlete of the Year, NJSIAA Scholar AthC biology and psychology at North Dakota State lete, 2016 President’s Education award, second University in Fargo. (Korea) team all-league tennis. Plans to study psychology and art therapy at High Point University in High Rowley, Madeline — Rocky River, OH; NHS, s e l Point, NC. (Korea) i swimming, Youth Challenge volunteer. Plans to

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pb Nathan — Fort Collins, CO; baseball, Presley, m a Chonors, Senior Physical Education Excellence

s, study physician’s assisting at Gannon University la g in Erie, u PA. (China) Do

Ruckman, Anna — Kansas City, MO; Park University International Office employee and freshman mentor. Bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Park University in Parkville, MO. (Thailand) Scheel, Katherine — Salem, OR; summa cum ey laude. Bachelor’s degree in speech and heards n i ing sciences from Portland State University in ,L Portland, OR. Plans to work as a speech en language s an pathologist. (Vietnam)

Sherlock, Cameron — Omaha, NE; marching band, jazz band, choral ensemble. Plans to attend Morningside College in Sioux City, IA. (Korea)

e yli ,s K am illi W a in ist r K g, ir n Sy

d Syring, Kristina ay — Kearney, NE; four-year letters ,s J and music, Troop 1811 Thespian memin theater d to study at the University of Nebraska ber. Plans ar w d atE Kearney. (Korea) Williams, Kylie — Bakersfield, CA; NHS, Spanish Honor Society, 4.0 GPA, Golden State Seal, tennis, link crew. Plans to study business at California State University in Bakersfield. (China)

i Wittrig, A.J. — Lebanon, OR; soccer, wrestling, m E , track. Plans to either study photography at Linn n tso OR or Benton Community College in Albany, r e attend YWAM. (Korea) ilb G

J. A. , ig ittr W

A CAMPUS OASIS Carly Bushman

Four University of Oregon students reflect on the first year of Adoptee Meets World — a college adoptee group founded by Holt staff members and adoptees Steve Kalb and Emily Thornton.

Hannah Jewell

Sophomore

Senior

The Asian Pacific American Student Union, the Vietnamese Student Association and the Japanese Student Organization were some of the student organizations the University of Oregon (UO) offered to Asian students. As an adoptee from China, these titles were intimidating. So when my roommate invited me to the first meeting for the UO adoptee group, I had to check it out. Ever since, I look forward to hearing the laugher, stories and opinions of other adoptees across the tables of different restaurants each month. The group has exposed me to topics that I had never considered before and allowed me to share my own stories. It has become an important part of my college experience.

Before the college adoptee group was formed, I only knew of a few adoptees that also attended the UO. We would get lunch a couple times a year, but besides that it was hard to find time for us to all hang out — especially when everyone gets stuck in their normal routine and it becomes hard to reach out. The new UO adoptee group has been nothing but amazing for me and has made my last year at UO that much better. It has given me the opportunity to meet some incredible new adoptees and reconnect with others that I used to go to [Holt Adoptee] camp with. I hope incoming adoptees that attend UO in the future will join this awesome group.

Katie Breeden

Elliot Bliss

Junior

Freshman

Going into college, I had four friends through Holt Adoptee Camp who I met with about once a term. Our friendships came naturally. We all had this sort of similar experience and we could talk about it or not talk about it, but it gave us something in common. Beginning my junior year, I was thrilled to see Holt supporting the adoptee community at UO. It’s a very special group to be connected with and there actually are quite a few of us. Post-adoption services don’t widely exist because many people don’t realize how adoption can affect us, but post-adoption is the majority of our lives as adoptees and it’s extremely important to remember this fact.

The UO adoptee group became the highlight of my month. I was absolutely ecstatic when I learned that an adult adoptee group was being formed. I was able to reconnect with old friends from [Holt Adoptee] camp and meet other new adoptees. It was great to be in an atmosphere that was completely at ease. At many events, I always feel slightly out of place, whether it’s with family, friends or a group geared to Asian Americans. This group is 100% adoptees and I never felt judged or out of place. It’s a safe haven for me, a kind of oasis.

Photos by Emily Thornton

www.holtinternational.org 27

Leap FAITH OF

LEFT: In 2015, Kalwin, left, and John Lloyd, right, stand in front of the cottage where they lived in Lubao Pampanga, Philippines prior to being adopted.

Single mom Tina Schied discusses the joys of parenting teenage sons and of following her dream to grow her family through adoption.

hen Tina told her friends and acquaintances she was planning to adopt a child — a 7-year-old boy — from the Philippines, they echoed a few of the cautions already swirling in her head. “Are you sure you want to do this … alone?” “Are you crazy?” Tina already had three biological children, the youngest of whom was a sophomore in high school and the oldest nearly 22. And, while she had a great job as a nurse with fabulous benefits, as a single woman, maybe parenting an older boy

— and affording the cost of his adoption — would be too much to do on her own? Tina knew that she was passionate about adoption, ever since her family adopted her brothers from Korea in the 70s and 80s. And, Tina says, she didn’t think that being a single mom should stand in the way of something she really wanted to do. Tina fell in love with her son Kalwin, now a confident, charming 15-year-old, without even knowing what country he was from. Kalwin’s story was featured in an email from RainbowKids, an advocacy group for children with special needs who are

waiting for adoptive families. “You read a lot of profiles of kids — 20 a day — and some you just delete, some you read,” Tina says. “I happened to open one email about a little boy. I didn’t even know where he was from. He was 7. He wanted a mom and dad. He wanted a bike. He liked spaghetti and hot dogs.” After viewing Kalwin’s file, Tina woke up in the middle of the night with a confident, definitive voice in her head telling her to go for it. Tina’s older children were ecstatic and gave their support. Kalwin was 9 when Tina traveled to Lubao Pampanga, Philippines to bring him

home. Tina worried about how she and her new son would bond, whether he would miss his caregivers and how he would respond to being adopted. But her concerns quickly disappeared. “With Kalwin, he had no fear at all,” Tina says. “He took me by the hand, got in the van and there was no looking back.” The day Tina picked up Kalwin, another little boy named John Lloyd who lived with Kalwin —and about 12 other children in “Cottage 7” — pulled at Tina’s heart. “He just looked sad,” Tina says. “I saw Kalwin walk over to him and put his arm around him and I took a picture.” Tina and Kalwin traveled home to Washington, where they wasted no time bonding as a family. “It was like he always belonged with us,” Tina says. “It was like he had always been here. He just fit.” But the image of John Lloyd stuck in her mind and she couldn’t shake it. “I called Holt and I told them about John Lloyd — where he was living, his name, what he looked like,” Tina says. “They sent me a picture to confirm. By then he was almost 12 years old. He had grown up. But it was him. And Holt told me, yes, he’s available for adoption. He had only been cleared six months before, and no one had inquired about adopting him.” In March 2016, he finally joined his permanent, loving family — and reunited with Kalwin, now his older brother. Six months after welcoming John Lloyd home, Tina is helping both of her sons ease into their life together. Tina says her three oldest children love John the same way they love Kalwin and the same way they love each other — with open acceptance, excite-

ment, patience and a little sibling rivalry. There are language barriers, school hurdles and normal parent worries. To enroll at his new public school, John Lloyd will ultimately skip a full grade, moving from 6th grade in the Philippines to 8th grade in the U.S., based on his age. But Boise public schools offer strong education programs that will help John Lloyd catch up. “We are doing good,” Tina says. “You just worry, like any new parent does. John and Kalwin are opposites, which is fine. Just lately, they’ve been interacting, talking about girls and they are both opening up.” As a single mother, Tina says that financing her adoptions was not without

Tina says that because she adopted her sons as older children, they constantly remind her how different life is in the U.S. “Both the boys love the grocery store,” Tina says. “You think of their situation in the orphanage — they would go to the table and the food was there. I question whether either of those boys had ever seen a grocery story. It’s very intriguing to them. Things that we don’t think twice about, they enjoy.” Tina says she sometimes wonders if her children want a father in the home. When she adopted Kalwin, she says he told her that he really wanted a mom

“With Kalwin, he had no fear at all. He took me by the hand, got in the van and there was no looking back.” its challenges. But, both times, she took a leap of faith and the finances came together through savings, refinancing her home and taking advantage of workplace benefits. Today, she is focused on embracing each of her children’s unique traits and setting aside any expectations to ensure both her boys feel comfortable in their own skin and know they don’t have to conform to anything except being themselves and exploring their interests. “Right now with John, I just get a kick out of him,” Tina says. “We were in downtown Boise and there was some body-building thing happening at one of the hotels and it was free. So we walked in and we got free T-shirts. He loves that T-shirt. It was like he won the lottery.”

and a dad. “When I got Kalwin home, he asked ‘no dad?’” Tina says. “And I remembered that recently and asked him about it. I asked if he was disappointed that he didn’t have a dad. I asked him if I should go date. He was so funny — he got this really confused look. He said, ‘no, no dad!’ So I guess that just goes to show that what children need more than two parents is a family. All five of my children have that.”

Billie Loewen • Creative Lead Holt has four country programs open to single parents! Learn more at holtinternational.org/eligibility. FAR LEFT: John Lloyd and Kalwin stand beside their mom, Tina. LEFT: From left to right, Tina floats the Boise River with her children Jessica, Kalwin, Josey and John Lloyd on July 4, 2016.

www.holtinternational.org 29

IF YOU KNOW US AND LOVE US...

In a blog post for friends and family, adoptive mom Kristin Peddicord answers some of the questions she and her husband, Casey, have received since they arrived home with their daughter. This post originally appeared on Kristin’s blog, joyinthewaiting.com.

If you know us personally, we need you to read this:

asey and I need to have a chat with y’all. We’d like you to know that we’ve had quite some time to plan for this adoption. We’ve read books, been to conferences, learned from the best doctors and teachers in the adoption world. With that being said, we KNOW we still have a lot to learn. We aren’t perfect and never will be. But we have our parenting style planned. And guess what? It might not be like yours. It’s different. We know that is going to raise questions from many of you, and from some of you it already has. So we wanted to answer them for you now…

1. “Why aren’t you out more, and why can’t we come over and visit?” Sweet P needs to understand who her parents are. She needs to bond with us and us only. The

more people around, the more it might confuse her. The less we are out and about to begin with, the better. Plus, a big way to help a newly adopted child adjust to her new family is to limit stimulation. There is enough internal stimulation as well as simply being in a completely different culture with completely new caregivers AND a new language. Time will tell how much we are out and about for the rest of the year, but as much as we can simplify our life, we will.

2. “Come here and let me hold you!” I will warn you, our daughter is gorgeous. So you might be tempted to pick her up and kiss her cheeks. This, again, is an intimate experience we want reserved for our family for the time being. High fives, waving hello, big smiles, a pat on the

BELOW: Although the Peddicords’ daughter came home at age 3, children who live in orphanages often fall developmentally behind. Treating their daughter like she’s much younger helps facilitate bonding and also helps her catch up!

back are all appropriate ways to interact with her. We need to keep the snuggles limited to our immediate family…only for a while!

3. “Why do you feed her when she can feed herself?” The problem is that many kids in an orphanage learn to be independent too soon. She probably learned this early on just so the orphanage could be efficient. Feeding is a basic bonding opportunity. Infants receive nourishment from their mothers and it triggers all those ‘feel good’ hormones that are a baseline for attaching to her. When we feed our daughter, we are trying to engage some of those same hormones and simulate that type of experience for her. We will also try other ways to connect during mealtime, like making a lot of eye contact as she’s chewing. We also need to be the ONLY source of food for her for at least six months. So, while it is kind for others to offer children lollipops or treats or drinks or anything, we really need her to receive those things from us as we’re laying this foundation.

4. “She can walk… Why do you carry her?” It is highly unlikely that she received enough holding as a baby. Carrying her not only helps her start to feel comfortable in that intimate position, it also helps her vestibular system develop in areas where it may be lacking. Adjusting to keep her body positioning helps her become more aware of her body. Also, I can’t stress enough that bonding and attachment is critical… another reason why we carry her every chance we get.

5. “She’s 3, but you treat her like a baby. Why is that?” It is said that for every three months in an orphanage, a child loses one month of development. So while she is 3, she might not be there developmentally just yet (even though she seems brilliant to us!). We are trying to re-do a few steps in her development that she may have missed. She will be able to pass through these developmental stages more quickly, but we need to make sure she gets to pass through them. For example, we don’t know if she got rocked to sleep as a baby. She should’ve and she needed it, so we’ll make sure she gets it with us. That cycle of distress and finding comfort in us is one we’ll be practicing together for a while. Our baby never got treated as an infant, and it’s critical for bonding… This is why we do it.

6. “She’s acting up, why don’t you say no or put her in time-out?” Some of the typical parenting strategies backfire with children from high-stress backgrounds. Isolating her in a time-out risks communicating to her that when she makes poor choices, we will leave her. Our hope is to keep her in TIME-INS. We can sit quietly, take a break, but be together. As language develops, we can use our words to describe what happened and what needs to happen in the future. Discipline is going to be an ongoing learning experience. We will probably have mastered it all just as she turns 18. Again, we’re new to this, and we don’t have it all figured out. What we DO have figured out, we ask that you respect. We appreciate your advice and suggestions on how to parent, but we just can’t parent in all the same ways you can. We’re so excited for this journey and so THANKFUL for each and every one of you being so supportive of us. We could have NEVER done this if it wasn’t for our community.

Kristin Peddicord • Harriman, TN

www.holtinternational.org 31

Because

ALL CHILDREN Deserve a Family FOR HER SEVENTH GR ADE “GO M AKE A DIFFERENCE” PROJECT, ADOPTEE EMILY PICKET T CHOSE AN ISSUE CLOSE TO HER HEART: ADVOCATING FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

would like to share my adoption story with you in hopes that you too will consider adoption of a child with special needs. My name is Emily Min and I am 13 years old. In China, I was named Min Hai Ni by my orphanage nannies. My journey started at my finding place in Qinzhou City, Guangxi, China in a garden near a busy hospital. I was adopted through Holt when I was 3-and-a-half years old. I remember the day I was finally able to meet my parents. I walked into a large room, with three families eager to adopt their children with various special needs. I called out “Mama!” and hugged my parents. I received a backpack full of toys! When we made the long journey home, the elevator at the Des Moines airport opened and I met my loving family and friends. At 6 months of age, I was diagnosed with “weak legs.” What we later discovered is that I had polio (short for poliomyelitis). Poliomyelitis is a viral disease that can cause temporary or permanent paralysis. I permanently paralyzed my right quadriceps femoris. When I was younger, I was able to walk without support. However, when I entered 4th grade, the weakness in my right leg could not support my weight. Now I use braces and a wheelchair for extra assistance. My disability has had some limitations on my ability to walk, but I do not let it define who I am. My weak leg doesn’t keep me from finding ways to remain active. I am a member of my middle school’s award-winning show choir, which participates in competitions around the Des Moines metro area. I have a passion for singing and my wheelchair assists me with dancing. I also play the violin in orchestra. I like to go horseback riding and ride roller coasters! One of my biggest accomplishments was climbing to the top of a tower that had 169 steps. I don’t let anyone tell me I can’t do something! People questioned my parents WHY they wanted to adopt a child with special needs. My response is that ALL children deserve a loving home and an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. My dream is that I will someday be able to walk again, but until then I’m not going to let my disability define who I am.

32 www.holtinternational.org

Emily Pickett • Pella, IA

Fundraising DO’S

DON’TS

There are very few comments we read or hear more than, “I would adopt if it weren’t so expensive.” We totally understand. Although critical to ensuring a high level of care for children and ethical practices for everyone involved, adoption-related expenses add up quickly. Today, fundraising is a popular way for families to complete their adoption journey and welcome a child into their home. But there are some important things to consider before you jump into the wild world of fundraising. • • •

• • •

DON’T

• • •

Involve your friends and community. They want to help, and they’ll be excited to be a part of your adoption journey.

Do not use fundraising as your first method to cover adoption costs. Adoption is a life-long commitment and adding a child to your family will affect your finances long term.

Talk about why adoption is still critical in the country you are adopting from. Raising social awareness about the needs of children around the world will help friends understand why your adoption journey is so important.

Do not post identifying information about your child on the internet. While the temptation to share photos of your beautiful child is hard to resist, overseas officials, governments and child protection workers may be researching your family online, and sharing personal information about a child in their care or ours violates international safeguards for children waiting for adoption.

Keep it simple. Garage sales (ask friends for donations!), bake sales, craft fairs and other DIY projects have huge potential.

Do not be disrespectful of your child’s birth family, or share personal details about why your child became eligible to be adopted. Children are relinquished or abandoned for many, many reasons, and it’s important to be conscientious of their loss and that their story belongs to them.

Ask for airline miles or other travel-related vouchers. Travel expenses are about a third of your total adoption-related costs, so this type of assistance will help a ton!

Do not sell weapons, alcohol or other items that may be confusing or controversial to child welfare professionals or send the wrong message about adoption.

Do exhaust all your other options first. Look into the adoption tax credit. See if you qualify for employee or military veteran benefits. Also, apply for grants — LOTS of grants.

Do not ask family to give donations or money directly to your adoption agency and receive a tax deduction. Non-profit agencies are not allowed to take tax-deductible gifts and apply those donated funds to one specific family.

Wait to fundraise until you are homestudy-approved. If your family is not approved to adopt, having to return fundraised dollars will make a tough situation more difficult. Look for ways to save money by reducing lifestyle, entertainment or other “extra” costs. It’s amazing how fast savings add up!

Don’t over-share your story. Before you start fundraising, decide how much you will share about your adoption process, your agency experience and your child. And then stick to it. People will be curious about your motivations, your child and more. Remember, you are representing a very important cause. Presenting upbeat, positive information is the best way to inspire other families to adopt, too.

Partner with organizations like Both Hands Foundation or YouCaring.com. Their programs will help you reach your fundraising goals through tried-and-true methods.

Don’t get upset if some friends and family don’t offer financial support. Adoption fundraising can be confusing, even to some of your closest family and friends. And that’s okay.

Check out Holt’s website for a comprehensive list of fundraising organizations, grant options, potential adoption tax benefits and inspirational stories from families who fundraised 100 percent of the costs related to their child’s adoption.

Visit holtinternational.org/financialaid.

Adopt from Korea!

Holt can now place children with families in all 50 states! About Holtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Korea Program: Recently expanded parent eligibility 60 years placing children from Korea Stable and predictable Children live with foster families while they wait Detailed medical information about children

holtinternational.org/korea

Adopt from Thailand!

Timeframes from application to travel have decreased to 18-30 months! About Holtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thailand Program: Children are typically 2-3 years old at placement Most children have minor or no health conditions Children live with foster families while they wait Great program for younger parents Holt is the leader in Thailand adoption

holtinternational.org/thailand 34 www.holtinternational.org

WAITING CHILDREN These and other children need adoptive families. Austen

October 30, 2011 • Vietnam This sweet and social boy enjoys telling stories and playing with his friends. Austen was found at the hospital and weighed 7.4 pounds at birth. He was diagnosed with a facial cleft and cleft lip/palate, for which he had surgery in October 2012. His speech development is delayed. Austen is a curious little boy who is very interested in new things and he waits for a family with the resources he needs to thrive. A $5,000 Special Blessings grant is available for Austen’s adoption.

Gianna

February 1, 2015 • China Gianna was born premature and came into our care when she was about four days old. This cute little girl has several special needs, including impaired hearing and congenital laryngeal cartilage dysplasia. Her development is delayed and she doesn’t speak yet, but will crawl toward what she wants and cry when she is unhappy. Gianna has developed a close bond with her caregivers, but she now needs a permanent family that can provide the stability and specialized care that she needs.

Jordan

January 1, 2004 • SE Asia Jordan’s caregivers describe him as a caring and empathetic young man who is loved by all. His motor skills are excellent, and his favorite activities are coloring, drawing and playing soccer outside. He does have some cognitive and developmental delays that are attributed to his early lack of stimulation. However, he has shown improvement since he started going to school. He is ready for a family that can give him the personalized attention he deserves and can help him reach his full potential.

Bella

September 28, 2003 • China Bella is a bright girl with a beautiful smile and a sensitive spirit. Bella has tested positive for HIV and her condition is well managed with daily medications. When she grows up, she wants to work with animals because they make her happy. This sweet girl needs a family that can provide a loving and secure home for her. Due to the stigma of HIV in China, Bella’s face is hidden to protect her identity.

For information about adopting Austen and Jordan, contact Kristen Henry at kristenh@holtinternational.org. For Gianna and Bella, contact Jessica Zeeb at jessicaz@holtinternational.org.

holtinternational.org/waitingchild/photolisting

TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR

Adoption Journey! Apply Online!

Request more information Learn more about children waiting for families Explore the nine countries where Holt has adoption programs Sign up for a free webinar or schedule a free, 1:1 consultation Learn about adoption fees and family eligibility

HOLTINTERNATIONAL.ORG/ADOPTION

541.687.2202

Jennifer Kampert, who adopted her daughter from Thailand in 2012 The first time my daughter jumped on my back for a piggyback ride. She was finally starting to act like a kid with no worries. May 9 at 2:24pm

Holt International May 8, 2016

What was your “favorite first” with your adopted child? FOR MORE ADOPTION STORIES AND INFO, VISIT HOLT’S BLOG, ONLINE MAGAZINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

Lindsay Landry, whose daughter came home from China in September 2016 I don’t have my baby yet. She is still in foster care in China. But I FaceTimed with her yesterday and she called me ‘Ma Ma’ for the first time. Perfect Mother’s Day gift! May 8 at 1:42pm

Dawn Vaccaro McDonnell, whose son Matthew came home from Korea in 1999 and daughter Julia from China in 2002 Every single day when they first wake up and they smile at me and say ‘good morning, Mom.’ My son is now 17 and my daughter is 13. Gets me every time. May 9 at 5:58am