We pioneered international adoption 60 years ago and we remain the leaders today, uniting families with children who truly need them. We stand by adoptees and their families for their entire lives — providing world-class care to children waiting to come home, as well as resources, education tools, and support to families and adult adoptees. You can rest assured that we are doing adoption the right way.
Since 1956, Holt International has united thousands of children from South Korea with loving adoptive families in the U.S. Our legacy began in the wake of the Korean War when our founders, Harry and Bertha Holt, urged Congress to pass a special act allowing them to adopt eight Korean children. The Holts established the first international adoption program in Korea. And today, Holt continues to seek loving adoptive families for children in Korea who truly need them.
Many children in Korea are waiting, right now, to be matched with adoptive families. For many children, international adoption is the only possible route to a permanent family.
While they wait to join an adoptive family, almost all children stay in the loving care of a foster family – helping them reach developmental milestones and form healthy emotional bonds.
With a unique expertise cultivated over 60 years of experience in Korea, our staff is well equipped to guide your family through the process, anticipate needs and overcome obstacles, and predict the timeframes from application to home.
Explore the average length of the adoption process, fees and expenses, parent eligibility and the needs of children waiting for a family in Korea.
Whether you are still gathering information or you feel ready to apply to adopt, we have many free ways for you to explore our programs or get started.