("Holt International Historical Archive Photos")
"When they got the children home, they could have said 'we're done,' but they then turned to help the hundreds of other people who contacted them wanting to provide a home to other children."
~Nancy Clough, Adoptive Parent
Holts' Leadership
After adopting their eight children, the Holts wanted to help other children that needed "forever" homes. Their story spread across the country and inspired others to adopt children from other countries. Harry went back to Korea and helped more than 500 children find families. While Harry was in Korea, Bertha was finding families who wanted to adopt the children ("Holt International Children's Services").
Some people, such as social workers and adoption professionals, were against the Holts' work. They believed the Holts' placement of children threatened the children's welfare.
"Most opposition came from the people who should have been doing this work, social workers and their agencies. They objected because we weren't licensed social workers and were 'going over their heads,' so to speak. They had no concept of the many babies who were dying in baby homes and orphanages, in streets and hospitals." (Holt, Molly)
"Yes, there was some opposition, but my parents felt that God wanted those children to have homes, and they were determined to accomplish it. Now, many years later, there are much better ways to evaluate families and there are caseworkers to help people decide about adoption. However, Holt did as good a job as they could in the early days." (Peterson)
The Holts officially incorporated Holt International Children's Services in 1956, using mostly their own money to finance it. "From there, Holt International Children's Services was born and has evolved through the years. They've been a tireless advocate for children in need all over the world. They have been a leading voice for secure and legal adoptions in developing countries where it might be all too easy to coerce impoverished parents to surrender children involuntarily." (Clough, Nancy)
"By the early 1960s, the Holts responded to pressure from the child welfare establishment. Their operation began to follow standard professional procedures, hired social worker John Adams as its Executive Director in 1962, and gradually evolved into a typical adoption agency." (Herman)
"The Holt Bill and the consequent Holt Agency helped define adoption legislation and policy. In addition, this shift in adoption from same-ethnicity to biracial, international children was really revolutionary and a big step in race relations." (Lee)
Some people, such as social workers and adoption professionals, were against the Holts' work. They believed the Holts' placement of children threatened the children's welfare.
"Most opposition came from the people who should have been doing this work, social workers and their agencies. They objected because we weren't licensed social workers and were 'going over their heads,' so to speak. They had no concept of the many babies who were dying in baby homes and orphanages, in streets and hospitals." (Holt, Molly)
"Yes, there was some opposition, but my parents felt that God wanted those children to have homes, and they were determined to accomplish it. Now, many years later, there are much better ways to evaluate families and there are caseworkers to help people decide about adoption. However, Holt did as good a job as they could in the early days." (Peterson)
The Holts officially incorporated Holt International Children's Services in 1956, using mostly their own money to finance it. "From there, Holt International Children's Services was born and has evolved through the years. They've been a tireless advocate for children in need all over the world. They have been a leading voice for secure and legal adoptions in developing countries where it might be all too easy to coerce impoverished parents to surrender children involuntarily." (Clough, Nancy)
"By the early 1960s, the Holts responded to pressure from the child welfare establishment. Their operation began to follow standard professional procedures, hired social worker John Adams as its Executive Director in 1962, and gradually evolved into a typical adoption agency." (Herman)
"The Holt Bill and the consequent Holt Agency helped define adoption legislation and policy. In addition, this shift in adoption from same-ethnicity to biracial, international children was really revolutionary and a big step in race relations." (Lee)