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 | Adopting From South Korea
by Kim Phagan-Hansel |
The doors to international adoption opened in 1955 when Harry and Bertha Holt adopted eight children from South Korea after learning about the plight of Korea’s orphans. The Holt’s went on to establish their own adoption agency, Holt International, to help the many other orphans in Korea. Today, Korea remains a strong-hold in the adoption community as the fourth most popular country open to international adoption. In 2003, almost 2,000 children from Korea found homes in the United States.
As the oldest country open to international adoption, Korea remains a popular choice for today’s adoptive parents for many reasons.
Prospective adoptive parents must be at least 25 years of age and married for at least three years. Wait times for referrals often vary depending on if parents are adopting a girl or boy. According to A.A.C. Adoption and Family Network of Berthoud, Colo., the wait for a boy is approximately 10 months from the time a formal application is submitted to a referral. For a girl the wait is approximately 20 to 22 months. Once a referral has been received the prospective adoptive family has time to review the child’s information and decide if they want to proceed with the adoption. After the referral is accepted, families receive the child in about three months.
The children are about 2 months old at the time of referral and are 4 to 6 months old when they are united with their families. While living in Korea, the children are cared for by foster parents and receive quality, one-on-one care, according to Debbie Lancaster, case coordinator at A.A.C.
One aspect that makes Korean adoptions unique is that there are no travel requirements for adoptive parents. Children can be escorted to the United States and then the adoption is completed once the children are with their adoptive families. Parents may choose to travel to Korea to pick up their child and stay for any length of time then the adoption will be completed once they return to the United States.
Another choice in adopting from Korea is adopting a child from the special needs and waiting kids list. The kids on the list vary in age and the severity of their disability. Some of the more common special needs include cleft lip and palate, heart defects and delayed development. For these children the wait times are significantly shorter.
For more information on Korean adoptions, contact A.A.C. at (970) 532-3576 or www.aacadoption.com, or contact any other agency facilitating Korean adoptions.
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