Welcome to the Korean Program

On Friday, September 25th I got this email from the Korean Program at Holt

All of us from the Korea Program Staff want to welcome you to the Korea Program! Our staff and contact information is:
Mary Collins maryc@holtintl.org
Lisa Lowery lisal@holtintl.org
Angie Wharfield Ford, LCSW, Program Director angiew@holtintl.org
Phone (541)687-2202, fax: 541-683-6175, address: 1195 City View, Eugene, OR 97401

As you begin your adoption process, we want to provide you with the most current information about the profile of children in Korea in need of loving, adoptive families.

STANDARD PROCESS
Age: Children are typically relinquished for adoption shortly after time of birth. Children first become available for adoption by families in Korea for approximately 6 months, then are released for international adoption. Therefore, most children are 6-9 months at time of match, and 9-14 months at time of placement.

Gender: More boys are released for international adoption than girls, due to Korean families expressing a preference to adopt girls domestically. Only families with two or more boys and no girls or Korean American parents can specifically request to adopt a girl. For those families who can and do request s girl, the wait for a referral is generally longer.

Common neonatal health conditions: Prematurity, Low Birth Weight, Hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice), Birth Mother history (use of alcohol, smoking, or use of over the counter medicines), Initial abnormal neurosonogram followed by a subsequent normal neurosonogram, minor heart murmur

Please Note: Families are likely to be referred a child with one or more of the normal neonatal conditions listed above through the standard adoption process. Please review the medical conditions checklist provided to you as part of Holt's initial application, and identify which of the above conditions, and any additional medical conditions, you feel most comfortable accepting. If you are not open to any of the above conditions, please contact Holt so that we may discuss other program options with you.

SPECIAL NEEDS PROCESS

Age: Children with special needs may be released early for international adoption, because of the difficulty finding an adoptive family in Korea open to the child's special needs. Therefore, children's ages range from 3-24 months at time of match, and 6-30 months at time of placement. Occasionally toddlers or young school age children with special needs become available for adoption, although this is rare.

Gender: More boys are released for adoption than girls, due to more Korean families expressing a preference to adopt girls domestically. Families may specify a preference for gender through the Waiting Child Program. Generally, the wait for girls is longer.

Common medical conditions: Prematurity, Low Birth Weight, Hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice), Birth Mother history (use of alcohol, smoking, or use of over the counter medicines), cerebral palsy, seizures, ear atresia, meconium aspiration, sepsis, abnormal neurosonogram, congenital heart disease, meningomyelocele, history of medical conditions within the birth family that could be hereditary, cleft palate, developmental delays, hemangioma, hepatitis, extra or missing fingers or toes, hearing loss, urinary tract infection

Please Note: Families open to a child with medical conditions are encouraged to work with the Korea Standard Program as well as the Waiting Child Program. While children with Normal Neonatal Conditions are typically referred through the Standard Process, children with more involved medical and special needs are referred through the Waiting Child Program.

Thank you,

Lisa Lowery
Holt International Children's Services
Korea & Bulgaria Social Service Assistant


Yeah, now it's offical, we are in the Korean Program!