("Holt International Children's Services")
"My parents were people who did not put themselves forward or enjoy publicity, but they realized how important it was for people to know the needs of so many children left without families to care for them."
~MOlly Holt
Interview with Molly Holt
Molly Holt is one of the Holts' birth children.
What were the challenges in adopting eight children? I was away at nursing school at the time, but came home as often as possible and helped when I could. My father had directly cared for them in Korea so they adjusted fairly well to our big home and family. We had planned for them so most things we needed were in place when they came. My sisters Wanda (20) and Barbara (17), helped a lot until they went to Korea the following year to help my father there. Then my mom hired a lovely Mennonite lady, and she was a wonderful help. Our home and yard were big and they loved playing with our dog and the other animals. If you read my mom's book Seed from the East, you will have a better idea of how my family coped than I can tell you.
What was life like at home? Our home was near Creswell, a small town (Pop. 850 at that time), but we aren't included because we lived outside the city limits. My father had probably the biggest business in Creswell before he quit due to his health problem; everyone knew us, and many people had helped us adopt by writing letters to senators and congressmen. If people didn't approve they didn't say much. Most were curious and many helped later by making diapers, saving clothes and other such things. As they grew older, some other children called our kids "chinks" and such things; they would joke about it to us. Again, I was gone from home then, and my mom's book is a good source.
Was there opposition to international adoption? 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. Again, my mom wrote about this in her book Sons from Afar, which tells about the beginning of the Holt Program until my father's death. As is the same now, people loved to say that we were "selling babies."
What is your role at Holt? Again, my mom's books would be a good resource. I have written a book, well, someone else wrote it, and Dr. Cho and I corrected it. But it is in Korean, so not much use to you. My "role" changed a lot, and some years I was working with orphans for other agencies or a hospital. I lived mostly here at Ilsan Center, a big facility mostly for disabled children and adults that missed being adopted. I've lived here mostly since 1967 when I became director of this Center. I first came to Korea in October 1956 when I finished nursing school. I was 20 at that time, and my father asked me to help him. I returned to the USA in January 1961 and finished my education. Just now I am Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Holt Children's Services (Holt Korea). Our Holt agency divided into two in 1976 according to Korean law. We were prepared with a Korean board of directors and a Korean President, but had problems later when our director decided to get rid of the Holt name, etc. and I was put off the board. Yet I lived here in the house my father built and commented as I wished about how things were going. Twenty years later my mother asked that I be put back on the board, and then I became the board chairperson, much to my surprise, but according to Korea custom. It has worked fine, and we have had no major problems since 2000 when I became chairperson. I keep informed as to what is happening and that helps a lot. I was sick with cancer for about two years but am in remission now and able to get around fairly well. I used to have a housemother and residents in my home, but can't now, since our institution went on a three-shifts, eight-hour system. Yet, I am aware of most of our problems and help as much as I can.
Were your parents' leaders in international adoption? Yes, they certainly were! As I mentioned, they were greatly maligned and criticized at first, but that changed as we put more people educated in social work in staff positions and aligned our policies with what these people advocated. We cannot deny the part publicity played in the work we did. My parents were people who did not put themselves forward or enjoy publicity, but they realized how important it was for people to know the needs of so many children left without families to care for them. Also my father used his fortune to do this work; the families paid some, but he told me he spent $100 on every child that went overseas before he died in 1964. That was about 3,000 children. Holt still works to keep our adoption fees as low as possible. A recent audit by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs showed that Holt was about $7,000 short on every child we adopted overseas. That is a good answer to those people who accuse us of "selling children."
How has international adoption changed? It has changed a great deal and continues to change. Every country seems to want to send children at first, then they get accused of "selling" their children, (it has happened!) and then they make laws to stop or to restrict adoption. Here in Korea we just have had law changes that really slowed down both domestic and overseas adoptions. Some of the changes were good, some I feel are too soon for society to adjust to, but at least we can still find homes for needy children, and we are thankful for that.
What was life like at home? Our home was near Creswell, a small town (Pop. 850 at that time), but we aren't included because we lived outside the city limits. My father had probably the biggest business in Creswell before he quit due to his health problem; everyone knew us, and many people had helped us adopt by writing letters to senators and congressmen. If people didn't approve they didn't say much. Most were curious and many helped later by making diapers, saving clothes and other such things. As they grew older, some other children called our kids "chinks" and such things; they would joke about it to us. Again, I was gone from home then, and my mom's book is a good source.
Was there opposition to international adoption? 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. Again, my mom wrote about this in her book Sons from Afar, which tells about the beginning of the Holt Program until my father's death. As is the same now, people loved to say that we were "selling babies."
What is your role at Holt? Again, my mom's books would be a good resource. I have written a book, well, someone else wrote it, and Dr. Cho and I corrected it. But it is in Korean, so not much use to you. My "role" changed a lot, and some years I was working with orphans for other agencies or a hospital. I lived mostly here at Ilsan Center, a big facility mostly for disabled children and adults that missed being adopted. I've lived here mostly since 1967 when I became director of this Center. I first came to Korea in October 1956 when I finished nursing school. I was 20 at that time, and my father asked me to help him. I returned to the USA in January 1961 and finished my education. Just now I am Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Holt Children's Services (Holt Korea). Our Holt agency divided into two in 1976 according to Korean law. We were prepared with a Korean board of directors and a Korean President, but had problems later when our director decided to get rid of the Holt name, etc. and I was put off the board. Yet I lived here in the house my father built and commented as I wished about how things were going. Twenty years later my mother asked that I be put back on the board, and then I became the board chairperson, much to my surprise, but according to Korea custom. It has worked fine, and we have had no major problems since 2000 when I became chairperson. I keep informed as to what is happening and that helps a lot. I was sick with cancer for about two years but am in remission now and able to get around fairly well. I used to have a housemother and residents in my home, but can't now, since our institution went on a three-shifts, eight-hour system. Yet, I am aware of most of our problems and help as much as I can.
Were your parents' leaders in international adoption? Yes, they certainly were! As I mentioned, they were greatly maligned and criticized at first, but that changed as we put more people educated in social work in staff positions and aligned our policies with what these people advocated. We cannot deny the part publicity played in the work we did. My parents were people who did not put themselves forward or enjoy publicity, but they realized how important it was for people to know the needs of so many children left without families to care for them. Also my father used his fortune to do this work; the families paid some, but he told me he spent $100 on every child that went overseas before he died in 1964. That was about 3,000 children. Holt still works to keep our adoption fees as low as possible. A recent audit by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs showed that Holt was about $7,000 short on every child we adopted overseas. That is a good answer to those people who accuse us of "selling children."
How has international adoption changed? It has changed a great deal and continues to change. Every country seems to want to send children at first, then they get accused of "selling" their children, (it has happened!) and then they make laws to stop or to restrict adoption. Here in Korea we just have had law changes that really slowed down both domestic and overseas adoptions. Some of the changes were good, some I feel are too soon for society to adjust to, but at least we can still find homes for needy children, and we are thankful for that.