How old are the children?
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Currently, Holt is only accepting new applications from families seeking children older than 3 yrs ans siblings.
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What is the profile of children to be adopted?
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Health conditions vary – even healthy children may have anemia, rickets, and some developmental delays. Foster care is fairly new in Mongolia, so most children are in care at the Infant Sanatorium in Ulaanbaatar. Children are abandoned by their birth parents and brought by local authorities to the Infant Sanatorium for care. These children remain under the guardianship of the Infant Sanatorium until time of adoption.
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How long does the process take?
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The time frame to adopt a child from Mongolia varies. Every adoption involves acquiring documents, filling out forms, scheduling and writing of the home study, and processing the documents. The adoption agency actually has control over only a few of these elements. The rest depends upon the adoptive parents and the government agencies involved. Also the time involved can change from one month to the next depending upon a variety of factors: government changes, the number of children needing families and the number of families who are currently in process to adopt.
International adoptions are processed through two government ministries in Mongolia; the Ministry of Social Welfare and Labor or the first committee, and the Office of Immigration, Naturalization, and Foreign Citizens or the second committee. After an adoptive family’s dossier has been sent to Mongolia, it is translated by Holt’s partner agency staff. The dossier is then submitted to the first committee for review, approval, and child match. Once this process is complete, the dossier is forwarded to the second committee for travel approval. When families receive second committee approval, at least one parent must travel to Mongolia and South Korea to complete the adoption process. Families travel to Ulaanbaatar Mongolia, where they will be greeted by Holt’s partner agency staff and meet their child. In Ulaanbaatar, families will follow adoption procedures in local government offices. During this time, the Naidvar Center staff will arrange for families to visit local places of interest. Naidvar Center staff will be available to families at all times to provide translation support and assistance through the entire adoption process.
Finally, adoptive families and their new children will travel to Seoul, South Korea. At the U.S. embassy in Seoul, applications for the children's visas to come to the United States are processed. Holt maintains a contract employee in Seoul to assist families throughout the visa process.
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Who can adopt from Mongolia?
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Couples between the ages of 30 and 49 years old and single women age 35 to 45. Changes to eligibility criteria for the Mongolia program occur regularly, so we recommend checking with Holt staff to see if this program is right for you. Couples must be married at least five years, with no more than one divorce per spouse. Each family’s income, health, and family size are carefully reviewed by the Mongolian government during the dossier review process.
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Can we choose the gender of child?
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Prospective adoptive families can state a preference for a boy or girl, but must be open to either gender due to the limited number of children available for matching.
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How are families selected for children?
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Previously Holt proposed matches of children to families prior to the family’s dossier being sent to Mongolia. Currently the Mongolian government is expressing an interest in facilitating the match process.
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What kind of information is available about the children?
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Families receive a basic medical report and photograph of their child. Families also receive quarterly updates and photos if the child they are matched to is also in care sponsored by Holt.
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What kind of medical care do children receive?
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The Infant Sanatorium in Ulaanbaatar has doctors on staff who provide medical services for children in care. Local testing laboratories and hospitals are also accessed by orphanage staff for children as needed.
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Are there “waiting children" from Mongolia?
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Holt looks for families for some children with special needs from Mongolia. Waiting children in Mongolia may have hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cerebral palsy, or be slightly older. To find out more about children with special needs who are waiting for families in Mongolia, visit Holt’s Waiting Child section of our website. |
What kind of information do families receive during the adoption process?
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Families receive a Mongolia Program Adoption Guidebook after their formal application has been submitted. The guidebook walks families through each step of the adoption process. Holt staff is available by phone or e-mail for consultation and advice to help you complete your application and dossier properly, discuss travel, advise you about your referral, and explain post-placement requirements.
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How do children come into care?
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Children usually come into care one of two ways; either temporary relinquishment by birth families or by abandonment. Children who have identified birth families are not eligible for international adoption. For children who are abandoned, a police search is conducted to locate the child’s birth family. If no birth relatives are identified, the child is then eligible for adoption.
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Where do children live while they are in Mongolia?
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Most children are in care at the Infant Sanatorium (IS) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The IS is a government run orphanage for children age 0-3 years. Many of the care units have been renovated, and rooms are large, bright, and clean. Recently Holt began a foster care program in Ulaanbaatar, however the number of foster care placements is fairly small.
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Do parents travel to Mongolia?
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Yes. Mongolia’s adoption law requires that at least one parent travel to Mongolia to complete their child’s adoption. Families must also travel to Seoul, South Korea to process the adoptive child’s U.S. visa. While you are in Mongolia Naidvar Center staff will assist you with all phases of your trip, from logistical arrangements to adoption processing. The Naidvar staff is experienced in working with American families and is available on the trip if any issues, concerns, or questions arise.
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How do I arrange my adoption trip?
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The only travel arrangements for which you are responsible are the plane tickets. Holt can recommend a travel agency who is experienced with adoption travel to Mongolia and understands the unique needs of adoptive parents. Holt’s partner agency in Mongolia and contract employee in South Korea will make all other arrangements for you, including hotel reservations and ground transportation.
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Can I adopt more than one child?
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Yes, but usually this means going through the program twice. In rare instances twins may be available for referral. Holt does not support placing unrelated children at the same time.
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