Friday, May 22, 2015

Holt International - Facilitating Adoptions of Korean Children

Well established in the Philadelphia, PA, community, Dr. Andrew Collier practices with Philadelphia Orthopaedic Associates. Since the adoption of their oldest son, Dr. Andrew Collier and his wife have made contributions to Holt International Children's Services, an agency that maintains a strong presence in Korea.

Dedicated to the idea that children “need loving adoptive families,” Holt International was established by Harry and Bertha Holt in the mid-1950s, when many young Koreans were orphaned in the wake of the Korean War. After the Holts advocated before the U.S. Congress for a special act that would allow the adoption of Korean children, they were able to create their pioneering international adoption program.

Today Holt International continues in its mission with young Korean orphans, typically matching boys between 6 and 12 months of age with families in the United States. Most of these children are toddlers when they come home to adoptive families. As with children from other countries that Holt International works with, many Korean children have some health issue. This issue is frequently of a minor variety, such that the child is considered healthy upon arrival in the United States.