WASHINGTON, April 12, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Participants from around the world will gather in Washington D.C. to celebrate 55 years of intercountry adoption at an international forum sponsored by Holt International and Adoptees for Children. The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill, April 14-16, 2011.
"Intercountry Adoption -- Moving Forward From a 55-Year Perspective" will be an unprecedented examination of international adoption and child welfare through the lens of adult adoptees. Also attending will be child welfare professionals, adoptive families and government officials from a variety of countries. Saturday's presenters will be adoption professionals who are also adult adoptees. "This will be the first significant conference to highlight the unique personal perspective of adoption professionals who also happen to be adult adoptees. Too often the influence and voices of those who have lived the experience are not represented," says Susan Soonkeum Cox, vice president of policy and external affairs at Holt International. More than ever, the environment for international child welfare and adoption is influenced by global concerns and challenges. To most effectively and strategically maximize this opportunity, Holt International and Adoptees for Children selected Washington as the conference site. Glenn Morey of Adoptees for Children says, "Since many of the policies and laws that guide international adoption practices begin here, we thought it would be most effective if the international forum was in Washington D.C." The international forum will conclude with a gala dinner and program Saturday evening. The Honorable Marjorie Margolies will serve as host for the evening and renowned comedian Alison Larkin, author of "The English American," will provide entertainment for the gala. Harry and Bertha Holt of Creswell, OR founded Holt International in 1956 after Congress passed a special act enabling them to adopt eight Korean orphans. As the pioneering organization for intercountry adoption, Holt has placed approximately 40,000 children from more than 20 countries with adoptive families in the U.S. Based in Eugene, OR, Holt currently has child welfare programs in over 13 countries. Forum schedule and details available at www.holtinternational.org. The forum was made possible by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation:www.wkkf.org. (Interviews with attending adult adoptees can be arranged).
