Lyam’s caregivers describe him as a happy child who is almost always in a cheerful mood. Our staff recently received videos of him happily playing alongside other children, being very talkative and practicing his language skills. We would love to share them with prospective adoptive parents!

Recent reports state that Lyam shows interest in peers’ activities and initiates greetings to familiar teachers and peers. He also enjoys observing in group activities and games. Although Lyam requires more guidance when explaining instructions, he can follow them well and has no problem taking turns with other children.

During a recent visit by his social worker, Lyam was excited to play house and pretend to cook and grocery shop with them. He was excited to talk about Peppa Pig, the characters and the story line with his social worker.

Lyam is developmentally delayed compared to peers. He is part of a resource class after school to aid in his development. Lyam needs a family who has access to educational and therapeutic support, to help him grow and reach his potential. The family must be well-versed in TBRI® to create an atmosphere of safety for Lyam. Lyam needs a family who also have plenty of time to devote to connecting and playing with him.

Lyam’s face is covered here due to country restrictions on privacy, but our staff have more photos and videos to share with prospective adoptive parents! If you think yours could be the right family for Lyam, please reach out to our waiting child team at waitingchild@holtinternational.org.

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Several weeks ago, my team and I returned from the Philippines where we met and assessed 40 children for our Special Needs Project. We sat down with each of these children one-on-one, learning about their needs, personalities and desire for an adoptive family. And now, we have six months to advocate for them to find a families.

These children were truly incredible, and it is our hope to find the right family for each one of them.

In our travels, we visited many different child caring agencies, and experienced so many wonderful aspects of these facilities and the Philippines adoption program. Below are three unique characteristics of this program that I hope will stand out to families interested in adopting a child from the Philippines.

Most of the children we met in the Philippines…

Have a Strong Faith

All children in child caring agencies in the Philippines are raised and educated in Christianity or Catholicism. Most have daily prayer and Bible education as part of their routine – this typically happens in the evenings as a whole group. Children raised in Catholic child caring agencies have received their rites (depending on their age). For most children, their faith is important to them and they pray for an adoptive family every night.

Can Speak English

All the children we met can speak at least some level of English! Many could complete our entire interview without the assistance of an interpreter. A lot of school is taught in English, so children also know how to read in English. For older children, having a good foundation of English really helps them when they are placed with an adoptive family in the U.S. Without a huge language barrier, it is easier for them to make friends at school, and express their needs and wants with their adoptive family.

Receive Mental Health Support

Every child we met has had a psychological exam completed and most have access to counseling at their child caring agency. This is unique from many other adoption programs. The counselors at these child caring agencies talk with the children about their previous life experiences, help the children learn how to cope with negative memories and feelings, give them tools for dealing with frustration, and talk with them about adoption. One child caring agency we visited is strictly for girls who experienced sexual abuse. This facility has counselors and social workers on staff who help the girls work through their experiences, help them with the prosecution of their abuser, and prepare them to live in a healthy family setting.

There were so many children who touched our hearts — and all of them are so needing and deserving of a loving family. The children we met are very familiar with adoption, and they have regular conversations about it with their caregivers. Each one of them is excited about the possibility of adoption, and many of them express their desire to be adopted one day.

“For most children, their faith is important to them and they pray for an adoptive family every night.”

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about the children we met, we would love to talk with you! We were able to gather lots of photos and information about each of them, and would love to share about their specific needs and personalities.

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The post 3 Things to Know About Philippines Older Child and Special Needs Adoption appeared first on Holt International.

Kevin is an empathetic, sweet and intelligent child who can adapt to any environment. His caregivers say he is resilient and so kind! Kevin loves arts and crafts. Painting, playing with playdough and drawing are his favorite creative activities. Kevin easily gives and receives affection from familiar caregivers, and he loves to be cuddled. Developmentally, he is making progress. He currently receives therapy and other support to aid in his development. Kevin needs a family with access to excellent medical care who can give him the focus and nurturing care he needs to thrive! Kevin also needs a family who can communicate with him in Spanish and who is familiar with TBRI®.

Kevin’s face is covered here due to country restrictions on privacy, but our social workers have more photos and videos to share of this sweet little guy! If you would like to learn more about Kevin, please email our waiting child team at waitingchild@holtinternational.org.

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Zayn is nine years old and he has lived with the same foster family for the last four years. Zayn’s caregivers describe him as outgoing, talkative, joyful and easy-going. His latest report says he is doing well in school. He has an earnest attitude towards learning, and he works hard at all his classes. Zayn also has perfect attendance! His favorite subjects include earth science and physical education. In his free time, Zayn enjoys playing basketball and riding bikes. He has a close bond with his foster father, where they enjoy laughing and being goofy with one another.

When Zayn is upset, he can explain why he is feeling down. He might feel sad because he has a lot of homework, or because he had a conflict with a friend. However, after speaking with his foster parents about the situation, he feels calm and comfortable again. Zayn needs a family who is committed to helping him regulate his emotions so he can navigate the world with a sense of belonging. Zayn wants a family of his own!

An ideal adoptive family for Zayn needs to understand the impacts of developmental trauma and multiple placements. The family should utilize TBRI® parenting techniques, especially connection before correction. If you are interested in learning more about Zayn, please email our waiting child team at waitinchild@holtinternational.org! Zayn’s face is covered here due to country restrictions on privacy, but our staff have more photos and videos to share with prospective families.

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Our Special Needs Project team is currently in the Philippines, meeting children to help them find adoptive families. In between long days of travel and assessing dozens of children, our social workers sent the following report — to share about the children who have especially touched their hearts.

By the end of our trip, we will have spent 12 days in the Philippines, traveling by car, ferry, van and plane to meet 42 children — in hopes of finding them loving, adoptive families once we return to the U.S.

Each of these 42 children has sat down with myself, Luisa or Brooke (all of us Holt social workers from our Special Needs Project [SNP] adoption team) while we conduct interviews and assessments, and gather photos and videos to try and get a true sense of their personality, strengths and needs.

We all have children who have especially touched our hearts — children we have cried after talking with because of how special they are, how much they desire an adoptive family to love and support them…

Some of the Children We’ve Met

I think of Bernila*, a 14-year-old girl who is very talented in music and art. She was initially shy, but started to open up after talking for a few minutes. She was very inquisitive and wanted to know all of our favorite things. She admitted that she is teased by the other children because of her acne and it makes her sad when that happens. She wants a family who enjoys traveling because she wants to travel the world.

Another child who Luisa fell in love with has been waiting for a family for such a long time. She has a significant medical condition that has made it more difficult to find a family for her in the past. But part of this is because families that have seen her on the special home finding list don’t have access to a full description of her condition or an updated picture of her. After spending time assessing and playing with this child, it’s clear that she is a true gift, has many talents, and does not allow her medical condition to get in the way of her love for life or faith in being adopted by the right family.

There was a sibling group of two boys where the younger boy has a medical condition and the older boy clearly loves and is protective of his little brother. The older brother describes trying to protect his brother from being teased by others and watched out for him while we visited them. You could see their loving bond just from how they looked at each other.

Another older girl we met was so friendly and engaged — such a sweet and giggly teenager who loves to talk with her friends and has a crush on a boy in her class. She has traumatic and sad memories of her life with her biological family, and desires a family where she can receive love and undivided attention.

The Children Waiting for Families

Each of the children we’ve met is such a joy! Because most of them speak English, we were able to talk with them with only minimal assistance from an interpreter. Some children are extremely outgoing and ready to engage with us, and others are very shy and reserved. They’re all very familiar with adoption and most have seen friends get adopted. Adoption is an everyday conversation these children have with their caregivers.

The children range in age from 4 to 15, with the majority being in the 10-12 age range. We have seen sibling groups and single children, children who wish to be an only child, some who want older siblings and others who want (and would thrive with) younger siblings. We met with two children who have very significant medical conditions, but who are so happy and wish to be with a family. Other sibling groups we’ve met all love each other and want to be placed together. There’s even a sibling group of six! The older children in the sibling groups know that it will take a unique family to move forward with their adoption, but they still have hope…

And that is exactly why our trip, and this adoption program, is so important: hope. As we return to the U.S. with in-depth information and photos of each child, it gives them greater hope of joining a family.

Adopting a Child From the Philippines SNP

Families who would be a good fit for adopting a child from this program should be understanding of developmentally appropriate pre-teen and teenage behaviors, be supportive of a child’s faith and how they choose to worship, and have a true commitment to lifelong parenthood. They need to be flexible, understanding, accepting, loving, good advocates, and have large toolbox of resources — as well as a great sense of humor! Ideal families will meet a child where they are at, can sustain delayed gratification when it comes to attachment, are invested in the Filipino culture, and will utilize TBRI in their parenting.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about any of the children we’ve met on our trip, we ask that you come to a Lunch and Learn to hear more about them. And please don’t hesitate to reach out to Luisa or Brooke if you see a child on the SNP photolisting that you feel a connection to — they’d love to tell you more about them!

*Name changed

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Meet Rhett! Caregivers describe Rhett as a playful, confident, and happy young boy. He is said to be a leader among his peers. When Holt social workers met Rhett in person, he told them he wants to be adopted by a family. He hopes for an older brother, so they can play games together. He also mentioned that he would love to have a pet cat!

Rhett enjoys playing with cars and building Legos with his friends. He also likes watching cartoons, playing on the computer, and playing soccer. One of his favorite memories was visiting a local zoo. At the zoo, he got to see a tiger, his favorite animal!

Caregivers say Rhett enjoys learning new things and that he has a good memory. They also say Rhett tries hard to complete a task, and he can give and receive affection from familiar people. He is helpful and will regularly volunteer to help complete chores.

Rhett needs a family to adopt him who is familiar with institutionalization. Rhett’s prospective adoptive family should understand ADHD and utilize TBRI® techniques. He will need educational support to help him reach his potential. If you are interested in learning more about Rhett, please email us at waitingchild@holtinternational.org! Holt social workers have met Rhett in person and would love to share more about him with prospective families.

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Tomi is very social and loves spending time with others! He is eager to get involved with fun activities at his care center. Some of his favorite things to do are swimming, blowing bubbles and playing with balloons. His caregiver says he is a faithful friend and cheerful companion to the other children at his center. “Everybody loves Tomi, he is pure joy!” his caregivers say. He has many friends who love to play with him, and he is happy, clever, engaging and loves attention and interaction.

Tomi is said to be very self-aware and good at communicating with others. Tomi does not speak and recently began using a computer using eye-gaze control technology to talk to his friends and caregivers, and now he is communicating adeptly with it!

Tomi has involved special needs, including cerebral palsy, and will need lifelong support from a loving and caring family. Tomi needs an adoptive family with access to excellent medical and therapeutic resources. Social workers recommend that the adoptive family have a wheelchair-accessible house and have good access to a children’s hospital.

Could you or someone you know be the right family for Tomi? If so, email us at waitingchild@holtinternational.org, we would love to tell you all about him!

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The post Urgent: Tomi Still Needs an Adoptive Family! appeared first on Holt International.

Caregivers describe Phineas as a quiet, introverted, and playful boy. Phineas is close to his favorite caregiver, and they have a trusting bond. When Holt staff visited Phineas in person, it took him awhile to get comfortable in the new environment. But once he got comfortable, he was playful and active. He enjoyed interacting with the other boys in the room.

Caregivers say he often perseveres when things get difficult. He follows rules and understands the difference between right and wrong. Phineas says his favorite subject is math and his favorite movie is Transformers. He loves eating spaghetti, fried gyoza, potato chips and Thai bubble tea. When he grows up, he hopes to be a firefighter.

Phineas’s caregivers believe he will benefit from individualized attention in an adoptive family. Phineas needs a family that will provide a safe, loving and nurturing home environment, so his self-confidence can continue to grow. His parent(s) should have a warm demeanor and be willing to learn how to use TBRI® techniques.

Phineas’s face is covered here due to country restrictions on privacy, but we have more photos and videos to share with prospective families. Holt staff have also met Phineas in person and would love to talk to prospective adoptive parents about their impression of him!

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Thirteen-year-old Katie has had significant improvement since coming into the stability of care. She respects authority, follow instructions and is independent in most of her daily activities. Katie has also established and maintained positive relationships with her peers and adults. She also has a healthy and stable attachment to her foster family and can express her emotions and needs. Katie’s motor, language, and social development are also all on-track developmentally. Katie enjoys drawing, dancing and playing soccer.

Yara, who is twelve years old, is empathetic and affectionate. He interacts positively with peers and adults and is able to control his impulses, recognize limits and respect authority. Yara enjoys painting, drawing, reading and writing. Katie and Yara need a family who is willing to adopt them together. An ideal adoptive family for these siblings will have time to dedicate to the children, and give them space to process and express their emotions. They need clearly established rules and boundaries and parenting techniques based on affection. Prospective adoptive families should have access to medical/therapeutic supports and be familiar with TBRI® techniques.

Could you be the right family for this pair? If you think you might be and you would like to learn more about them, please email our waiting child team at waitingchild@holtinternational.org! They are available to answer your questions, and they also have more photos and information about Katie and Yara.

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Holt’s Special Needs Projects (SNP’s) are the only ones of their kind in the U.S., setting them apart from other programs. Through these programs, Holt social workers from the U.S. travel to meet children in person! Holt currently has SNPs in the Philippines and Thailand, and hopes to utilize this advocacy strategy in more countries in the future. By visiting children waiting for adoptive families and meeting them face to face, Holt social workers can learn about their personalities and interests, and review any medical, developmental, cognitive or emotional needs they may have. This helps our clinical social workers best determine the kind of family they will thrive in — maybe yours!

If you’re a prospective adoptive parent concerned about the unknowns in adoption, one of Holt’s Special Needs Projects may be the right choice for you because of the detailed information our highly trained social workers are able to provide about children in these programs.

February 2024 Trip to the Philippines

During this February 2024 trip, the Holt social workers will visit and gather information about these children and their daily lives. They’ll also speak with a variety of people who work with the children, including teachers, caregivers, nurses and social workers. Having a comprehensive portrait of the child’s life, personality and environment, Holt staff here in the U.S. will better position our social workers to advocate and talk with prospective adoptive parents about the individual needs of these children.

And when prospective families reach out to Holt, we will now have a wealth of information and photos to share! Often, we can even direct families to a staff member who traveled to the Philippines and interacted personally with the child. They can then give their impressions and perspective on the child’s needs! In the world of international adoption, this kind of interactive approach is transformative for children and families alike.

While the team is there, they will also have real conversations with the children. They get to talk to them about adoption and their wishes for the future.

The Benefit of Conversations about Adoption with Children

Celeste Snodgrass, Holt’s senior director of clinical services, was part of the team that visited the Philippines in 2023 on Holt’s first SNP trip. She participated in many of these conversations — including how the children felt about the possibility of adoption.

“We discussed the topic of adoption often. The majority of children have seen friends be placed with adoptive families,” Celeste says. “When asked what they would wish for if they had three wishes, most children said their first wish would be for an adoptive family. Many children said they pray every night for an adoptive family.”

“It is so nice to meet with these children!” Celeste continues. “Their personalities really come alive when we talk with them about things they enjoy and games they like to play. Meeting them and getting to sit down and engage in both play and discussion with them means we are able to highlight who they are as a person. This helps us advocate to find them an adoptive family!”

The children in the program tend to be older, between 9 and 15 years old. For these youth, a dialogue about adoption is especially important.

“I hope that these children will feel that they have a voice in communicating with prospective families,” says Luisa Barnes, Holt social worker and director of adoption for Korea and the Philippines. “Since most of these children are older, their input is so important for a successful adoption. Their wishes, dreams and the vulnerability that they shared with us are so impactful. There is no doubt that families will see how incredible they are!” 

Last year some children said they want to be adopted into a two-parent family, others said they wanted a single mom. Many children wanted adoptive siblings while others were looking for pets. Whatever their wish, our SNP team listened and assured them the agency would do everything to advocate for them when they returned to the U.S.

Want to learn more about the children who need families through this special project? Our agreement with the Philippines government requires us to only share the children’s profiles with families who have an active application with Holt. If you fall into this category and you would like to view the children who are waiting, please email our waiting child team at waitingchild@holtinternational.org.

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The post Holt’s Unique Adoption Program in the Philippines Is Growing appeared first on Holt International.