Korea

pinkwedding05

I can't remember who mentioned it, but the other day one of you lovely ladies mentioned that Korea is trying to close international adoption by 2012.  I also think I remember reading that Holt is not accepting new applications.

I talked to the head of the Korea program in Chicago for Bethany and she said she hadn't heard anything about it.  I'm am concerned by this, and also very concerned because Holt is their placing agency.  Bethany seems to be our only option in IL.

That timeline would be very, very bad for us since they won't accept our formal app until our little one is 1yr old.  That would mean that we would be placing somewhere near 2012.  I truly can't imagine waiting on a list for months or years, only to have it fall through in the end. 

Can I ask where you got your information, and how I could check into it further?

Honeydew1894

Hi! I read it in several sources online, tho I am not the original poster. I talked to my agency, who confirmed that Korea's GOAL is to end it, but that as of now, they do not have a plan. She said that it would most likely be closed in 10 years. I cannot tell you what to do, but I certainly understand how you feel. We would (hopefully) be placed with a child in 2011, and we plan to move forward unless we hear otherwise.

pinkwedding05

Thanks for responding.  Hmmm, why would my agency not know about this?  I don't think she was trying to pull one over on me.  She honestly sounded like it was the first she had heard about it. 

I'm so sick of being on other people's timelines!

As of now DH wants to wait for 2010 to roll around then be put on the list.  I know we have time, but I would really like to have a idea of what will happen.  Don't these people know that I like to plan my life 3-5 years in advance (sarcasm)?!!

marlee

That was me. ?According to many sources on the Holt message boards, 2012 is the goal. ?I don't know that it will 100% happen, but that is the goal. ?Some people on the message board mentioned that their agencies (not everyone on there is with Holt) claimed they hadn't heard that. ?I had also read it in an article someone forwarded to me. ?I'll see if I still have that. ?

Anyway, it seemed common knowledge on those boards so I don't know why an agency dealing with Korea wouldn't have heard that. ?

As far as I know Holt USA is the only one who has changed to only accepting applications for Korean Americans or people who have adopted before as of October 2008. ?Other agencies are still accepting applications though (even if they do deal with Holt Korea). ?

Good Luck! ?I hope this doesn't affect your adoption. ??

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crystalpopcorn

From what I've heard some Holt agencies have stopped accepting applications because of their long waiting list already. ?

I contacted an agency about Korea yesterday (AAC). ?They said that the Korean govt. wants this to happen, but it is unlikely to happen by 2012. ?There are too many babies who need homes. ?They also said that Korea makes this type of threat every year or so. ?They are still accepting applications. ?

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marlee

I think this goal is taken a little more seriously because they have put a lot of effort in increasing domestic adoption and making it more acceptable by the the culture. ?This past year (or the year before) was the first year that domestic adoption outnumbered international. ?That probably gives them the hope that they will be able to do it. ?But again, I don't know that 2012 is realistic. ?

As far as timeframes go... ours isn't ridiculous and seems to be possibly getting a little shorter (?) I'm crossing my fingers and toes on that one. ?:) ?timeframes for Korea definitely vary on the agency. ??

lovemymonkey

my husband and I just attended an adoption orientation last weekend with Catholic Charities (who works through Holt) and they never mentioned closing adoptions to Korea in 2012. I meant to ask but I completely forgot.

DH and I are Korean-Americans but there were other non-Korean couples there interested in adopting from Korea and the social worker didn't mention anything about not taking new applications. They presented Korea as a very viable option for international adoptions and not just for Korean-Americans. In fact, a question came up as to whether being Korean-American would shorten the timeline for waiting for a Korean baby and the social worker said it would not. There is no preference given to KAs unless the birth mother specifically asks for a Korean family. She said in her 15 years of working with Korea, she has seen that only happen 3 times.

We are meeting with another agency in a few weeks and I will be sure to ask about the 2012 possible closure.

marlee

In case my comment caused any confusion. ?Holt USA (if Holt Korea is your agency's placing agency this does not apply) will only be taking applications from Korean Americans or families who have previously adopted from Korea from now on. ?This may not have to do with the 2012 rumors, but instead to keep the wait down, I don't know. ?

I'm still looking for that article I mentioned. ??