These country updates bring you the most current and up-to-date information from our program coordinators. One way of keeping you informed of what is going on in the country.
January 2012
South Korea continues to be a stable program. Children are placed into private foster homes where they remain until you travel to bring them home to the United States. Primarily boys are available for adoption and they are 12 to 15 months old when they arrive home with you. The children receive excellent care from their foster families and from Social Welfare Society, an agency in Korea that provides wonderful support to children and families. Once your paperwork is sent to Korea, your wait to be matched with a child is currently up to 12 months. Your wait to travel once you have accepted your match is 5-7 months.
Please call Heather Gordon if you would like to grow your family by adopting from South Korea!
December 2011
Do you live in South Carolina? Carolina Adoption Services is now able to accept applications from South Carolina residents again! Call Heather Gordon, CAS Korea Program Coordinator, for information on how to start your adoption.
South Korea is a beautiful country with a rich cultural history. Families in this program have the privilege of meeting their child’s foster family during the one week in-country stay. Talk to our families who are home with their children. They can tell you what a powerful and meaningful experience this is! Though the trip is short, you will have opportunity to do some sight-seeing and shopping so that you have many pictures and gifts to share with your child and teach him about the beautiful country he comes from. The Yangchon Dried Persimmons Festival held in December is a two-day festival is filled with a variety of traditional music performances.
Nervous about traveling to another country? The staff at Social Welfare Society in Korea is wonderful and extremely competent. They will take you to meet your child and his foster family. You will have some free time to explore on your own but you’ll find Seoul to be a modern city with many conveniences and the Korean people to be friendly and helpful.
Please call Heather Gordon to see if adopting from South Korea is a match for starting or expanding your family!
November 2011
We are accepting applications for the Korea adoption program! Rumors of adoptions ending in 2012 are just that, rumors. The quota number will be reduced by 10% for this coming year, as is typical when the government issues the new annual quota. There are children available for adoption and they need your love and support in a family. Please contact Heather Gordon, CAS Korea Program Coordinator, to discuss your interest in this program and get your questions answered!
October 2011
Korea is an open and active with families completing their adoptions successfully. The South Korean government continues to issue quotas for adoptions but has no intention of closing any time soon. This is great news for you if you are interested in a solid adoption program. The process is moving right along and we are actively seeking new families.
October is full of many different festivals and celebrations as Koreans honor their culture and traditions, with events lasting through November. National Foundation Day, or Gaecheonjeol (gaecheon meaning “opening the sky”), was October 3, and this public holiday celebrates the day that Dangun Wanggeom founded Gojoseon, an ancient Korean nation.
Korea Food Festival celebrates tradition, particularly Korean traditional dining and food experiences, beautiful scenery, and memorable cultural programs. This festival will start October 20 and is organized by the national government to promote Hansik (Korean food) as part of the 2010-2012 Visit Korea Year campaign.
If you are interested in adopting from South Korea, please call and speak with Heather Gordon, CAS Korea program coordinator.
h3>September 2011
Why South Korea may be just the adoption program for you: Children available are generally healthy and between 10-12 months old when you travel to bring your child home. Each child is placed into a loving foster home after birth and receives the highest quality medical care. You can start your adoption and bring home your child in a little over a year. The adjustment of these children to their new families has been outstanding! The waiting process is difficult but you can feel at ease knowing your child’s needs are being met while he waits for you in a loving home. If you would like to be a forever family for a little one from South Korea, please call and speak with Heather Gordon, CAS Korea program coordinator, to learn more about this program.
August 2011
Carolina Adoption Services welcomes new families to the Korea program! If you meet Social Welfare Society’s eligibility requirements and are interested in generally healthy infant boys, this is the program for you! This is an excellent program that provides the children with the highest quality care. The wait time to be matched with your child and to travel to pick up your child remains the same: 8-10 months from the time your homestudy and packet are sent to Social Welfare Society in Korea; 3-4 months to travel after being matched with your child. If you are interested, please call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather Gordon, to learn more about adopting from Korea.
July 2011
The Korea program continues to run smoothly with another family recently returning home with their beautiful baby boy! The program has plenty of room for qualified families interested in a young child. Referral and travel wait times remain the same: 8-10 months from the time your homestudy and packet are sent to Social Welfare Society (SWS) in Korea; 3-4 months to travel after acceptance of a referral. There have been many blog posts lately about travel wait times increasing and this seems to be particular to different agencies. Our networking agency, Family & Children’s Agency (FCA), schedules when packets are sent to SWS, and this scheduling is well organized, keeping everything in line with the quota of placements per year.
For families who meet Social Welfare Society’s eligibility requirements, this is an excellent program that provides the children with the highest quality care. If you are interested in adopting from Korea, please call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather Gordon, to learn more.
June 2011
The past couple of months have been busy, as four families brought their children home! One more family awaits their travel approval! The Korea program continues to be a solid program with healthy children, ages 10 to 12 months available for adoption. Projected timeframes remain the same; up to 10 months from packet submission to referral; 3-4 months after acceptance to travel. For families who meet Social Welfare Society’s eligibility requirements, this is an excellent program that provides the children with the highest quality care. If you are interested, please call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather Gordon, to learn more about this program. We also invite you to participate in the Adopting from Korea webinar on June 20, at 6pm. Click here for more information.
May 2011
The Korea program continues to move along nicely. Projected timeframes remain the same: up to 10 months from packet submission to referral; 3-4 months after acceptance to travel. We are happy to welcome home one family and several other families are eagerly awaiting their official travel approvals!
The Korean adoption program is a wonderful program for families who meet Korea’s eligibility requirements. If you are interested, please call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather Gordon, to learn more about this program.
April 2011
The Korea program continues to move along nicely. Projected timeframes remain the same: up to 10 months from packet submission to referral; 3-4 months after acceptance to travel. We have received several referrals in the past few months and families are eagerly awaiting travel!
April 1 marked the start of Jinhae Gunhangje, Korea’s biggest blossom festival, to celebrate the blossoming of the cherry trees. Korea is also competing for a spot on the map for Jeju-do, their largest island, as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. The New7wonders Foundation is a Swiss-based non-profit organization, an initiative created to promote environmental awareness and protect sites of natural beauty around the world. There are 28 finalists, including the Grand Canyon in the United States, the Amazon rainforest and Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. Jeju Island is the only candidate in Northeast Asia. The final seven will be announced on November 11.
The Korean adoption program is a wonderful program for families who meet Korea’s eligibility requirements. If you are interested, please call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather Gordon, to learn more about this program.
March 2011
We have had a wonderful start to 2011 with great activity in referrals, some coming sooner than expected! Most likely, the majority of referrals will continue to be received in the normal time frame of up to 10 months after packet submission. Korea operates on their quota number system, meaning the Korean government assigns a quota number each year to Social Welfare Society (and to the other social welfare entities in Korea). This is the number of placements Social Welfare Society is allowed to have each year. After acceptance, families usually travel in 3-4 months.
This is a wonderful program for families who meet Korea’s eligibility requirements. If you are interested in adopting from Korea, please call and speak with Heather Gordon, Korea program coordinator.
February 2011
Koreans are celebrating their Lunar New Year holiday of Seollal, which falls on February 2-4 this year. Seollal is a time where many Koreans return to their hometowns and pay their respects to their family. Traditional games include: yunnori (a board game with marked sticks instead of dice), neolttwigi (a see-saw where players jump in the air instead of sit), kite-flying, and eating tteokguk (a kind of rice cake soup, which supposedly helps turn the eater a year older). Performed only on major holidays, and the most important ceremony of Lunar New Year, is “charye.” This is a Confucian rite where Koreans honor their ancestors and ask for continued blessings. The first New Year greeting is also an important part of Lunar New Year, where youths give ceremonial bows to their elders, and in return, receive a gift of some sort.
The Korea program has moved along nicely so far this year. Referrals slowed slightly at the end of the year, as typically happens; however, we continue to receive referrals, including one family who recently accepted their referral. We expect normal timeframes of up to 10 months from packet submission to referral. One family, who accepted their referral in September, just received Korea’s official travel approval, which falls in line with projected timeframes from acceptance to travel: 3-4 months.
This is a wonderful program for families who meet Korea’s eligibility requirements and live in NC, SC, NJ, or VA. If you are interested, please call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather Gordon, to learn more about this program.
January 2011
Darlene Cirilli, coordinator at Family & Children’s Agency (FCA), our networking agency, returned from a trip to Korea, where she met with Korean officials and staff at Social Welfare Society (SWS). SWS provides many services to help support birth parents, their children, and the adoption process. Darlene reports that her visit confirmed what FCA has known about SWS in the many years they have worked together – “children are loved and cared for from the moment their birth mother enters the care of SWS until the time they are placed into your arms. The SWS staff, along with an army of volunteers, continues to find ways to support women as they consider their adoption plan and to meet the developmental and medical needs of the children who are in their care.”
Darlene spoke extensively with Ms. Sun, Director of Intercountry Adoption, and President Chang at SWS. SWS did not give any indication that international adoption will end in 2012, as has been speculated within the media. This is, of course, regulated by the government and not SWS. SWS did report that the number of international adoption placements will be reduced by about 10% each year, and this is also subject to change. Referrals continue to take up to 10 months to receive from the time the program package goes to Korea. After the acceptance of a referral, families can expect to travel within 3 to 4 months.
This is a wonderful program for families who meet Korea’s eligibility requirements. If you are interested, please call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather Gordon, to learn more about this program.
December 2010
Referrals continue to come in for families according to the projected timeframes. One family recently received their referral and another family expects to travel in the coming months! The current wait for a referral is up to 10 months from the time a family’s packet is sent to Korea. After accepting a referral, families usually travel 3 to 4 months later.
This is a wonderful program for families who meet Korea’s eligibility requirements. If you are interested, please call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather Gordon, to learn more about this program.
November 2010
Darlene Cirilli at Family & Children’s Agency, our partner agency for the Korea adoption program, recently traveled to Korea to meet with the staff of Social Welfare Society (SWS). Our quota number for the 2011 year is 28, which is a slight decrease from 2010 quota which was 30. With the current wait times, families who apply for this program now can expect to receive a placement in 2012. The current wait for a referral is up to 10 months from the time a family’s packet is sent to Korea. After accepting a referral, families usually travel 3 to 4 months later. We have one family with a referral who expects to travel the beginning of next year.
This is a wonderful program for families who meet Korea’s eligibility requirements and live in NC, NJ, SC, or VA. If you are interested, please call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather Gordon, to learn more about this program.
October 2010
Two families received their final approvals to travel to Korea and bring home their little boys! What a wonderful event to celebrate as Thanksgiving is around the corner! Koreans have celebrated their Thanksgiving holiday, Chuseok, one of the biggest holidays in Korea. Chuseok is September 21 to 23. Darlene Cirilli, the Korea Coordinator at Family & Children’s Agency, our networking agency, will be traveling to Korea in October. Darlene will meet with Ms. Sun, the director of Social Welfare Society, and the staff, to discuss the program and to inquire about the quota number for next year. Last year’s quota number was 30 and it is expected to be a little less for 2011. With the current wait times, families who apply for this program now can expect to receive a placement in 2012. The current wait for a referral is up to 10 months from the time a family’s packet is sent to Korea. After accepting a referral, families usually travel 3 to 4 months later. This is a wonderful program for families who meet Korea’s eligibility requirements. If you are interested, please call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator to learn more about this program.
September 2010
We have families traveling soon! Two families await their final set of approvals in order to travel and pick up their children! This is a wonderful program for families who meet Korea’s eligibility requirements. If you are dreaming of a young and generally healthy son who is well cared for in his Korean foster home, then you should call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather, to learn more about this program. The CAS Korea program is open to families living in NC, NJ, SC, & VA.
August 2010
One family recently arrived home with their beautiful baby boy! We await Interstate and CIS approval for two families with referrals. This program continues to move forward with normal wait times, the wait to submit paperwork to the SWS has ended and a family’s paperwork will be sent when finished. Children receive excellent care in their foster homes as they wait for their forever family. Families enjoy peace of mind of having the attentive care of the staff at Social Welfare Society during your stay in Korea. This is a wonderful program for families who meet Korea’s eligibility requirements and live in NC, NJ, SC, & VA. Interested families should call and speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator, Heather Gordon, to learn more about this program.
July 2010
One family just received their I-600 approval and is awaiting Korea’s official approval to travel! Referrals of two beautiful baby boys have also just been received! Referral wait times continue to be 8 to 10 months from the time the program packet goes to Korea. Families continue to travel 3 to 4 months after the acceptance paperwork is complete. Families enjoy a short stay in Seoul, Korea, where they meet their foster family and child. The trip is just 4-7 days, but there is time to sightsee and enjoy the rich culture of South Korea. We encourage families interested in this program to talk to Heather Gordon, Korea program coordinator, about applying.
June 2010
Activity in the Korea program has been steady since the beginning of the year. Referrals continue to be received about 8 to 10 months from the time the program packet goes to Korea. After the acceptance of the referral, the children continue to be ready for travel between 3 and 4 months. We have one family expecting to travel in the next few months.
There have been changes in the processing of immigration paperwork. USCIS is now processing all of the new I-600A and I-600 applications (as of April 1, 2010) from a central location in Missouri called the National Benefits Center (NBC). Your paperwork will be sent to a lock box in Texas, logged in and then forwarded on to the NBC for processing. This is a new office; however, after training of the new officers, we feel this will expedite the I-600A and I-600 process, thus allowing families to travel to Korea in a timelier manner.
The political difficulties that continue to be present between North Korea and South Korea have had no impact on the adoption process. If we are apprised of any changes, either from our networking agency, Family & Children’s Agency or our state department, please be assured that we will contact you.
If you are interested in the Korea program contact Heather Gordon.
May 2010
The Korean adoption program is a wonderful program for families who meet the eligibility requirements. The Social Welfare Society has an excellent foster care system; babies enter the reception hall where they are nurtured and cared for until they are placed into a private foster home. The foster families provide excellent homes for these babies as they wait for their forever family. The babies receive outstanding medical care and attention. When families travel to Korea to meet their child, they are able to meet the foster family, who often has helpful tips regarding the baby’s routine, likes, dislikes, etc.
The Korea program continues to move along nicely. One family recently accepted a referral! From packet completion to packet submission to Korea is currently 3 to 4 months. The wait from packet submission to Korea until referral remains between 8 and 10 months. After acceptance paperwork is complete, the time to travel is between 3 and 4 months. Contact Heather Gordon to learn more about adopting from Korea.
April 2010
The Korea program continues to move along well. Two families recently came home with their beautiful baby boys! The wait from packet submission to Korea until referral remains between 8 and 10 months; however, a few referrals were received in March for families whose packets were submitted in August. After acceptance paperwork is complete, the time to travel is between 3 and 4 months.
April is Earth Month. April 6 through April 18, 2010 is the Yeouido Spring Flowers Festival. The royal azaleas and forsythias will be in full bloom in mid-April. The festival includes performances and art exhibitions. But the King Cherry Trees that line Yeouido’s roads, alongside the Han River, in hundreds, are what truly make the festival.
March 2010
The Korea program continues to move along well. One family received a referral in February and two families are closer to getting their travel calls! Timeframes remain the same: The wait from packet submission to Korea until referral is between 8 and 10 months. After acceptance paperwork is complete, the time to travel is still between 3 and 4 months. Join us for the Adopting From Korea Webinar on March 15, 2010. Register today.
Koreans celebrate Independence Movement Day on March 1st, one of four major national holidays. They are also celebrating their beloved figure skater Kim Yu-na, who won the gold medal in the Ladies Single Figure Skating event for the Olympics. Kim Yu-na, age 19, made world records again and outdid all her rivals by nearly 23 points.
February 2010
Two families recently returned home from Korea with their little boys! Two families are waiting for travel! The Korea program is busy and exciting.
The wait from packet submission to Korea until referral is between 8 and 10 months. Fortunately, the wait from packet completion to packet submission to Korea has decreased and is now about 4 months. After acceptance paperwork is complete, the time to travel is still between 3 and 4 months. The Korea program is an excellent program and remains a very viable option for families who meet the program qualifications.
Camp Moo Gung Hwa will have a culture camp this summer and has exciting events planned! Camp Moo Gung Hwa is a nonprofit, Korean Culture camp for Korean adoptees, their siblings, and families. The Children’s Day Celebration will be May 1, 2010 and Camp will be July 21-24, 2010. Please visit their website for details and more information: www.koreanculturecamp.net.
January 2010
Happy New Year! President Lee gave his New Year’s address on January 4 and spoke of the country’s goals for 2010 and onward. His priorities are economic recovery, including job creation, human resources, and better living conditions, along with climate change solutions. In 2007, Korea was ranked second out of 154 countries in the advancement of information and communications development by the U.N. International Telecommunication Union. “I hope that Korea will become the world’s greatest green tiger,” said U.N. Environment Program Secretary-General Achim Steiner.
To celebrate the Year of the Tiger under the Chinese Zodiac, many areas in Seoul are holding exhibitions and making sculptures of the tiger. Mount Inwang will create a tiger sculpture on the top of the mountain for hope and courage. Other winter festivals are happening, including the Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival, held on the slopes of Taebaeksan, one of Korea’s legendary mountains.
CAS continues to accept applications for the Korea program and the program continues to move along well. Two referrals were received in December, and four families are expected to travel to Korea in the coming months.
November 2009
KAAN will be holding their 2010 Conference in Hershey, PA, July 23-25, 2010. Their theme is The Road Ahead, as they will be exploring international adoption issues, racial issues and perspectives in the United States, and the current happenings with North Korea. Visit www.kaanconference.com for details and more information. KAAN has some interesting sounding educational opportunities as well. Read their latest newsletter by visiting www.kaanet.com.
The current wait from packet submission to referral is 7 to 10 months. There is currently a wait of 6-7 months from packet completion to packet submission to Korea. CAS is happy to have received the annual quota number, given for all agencies registered to work through SWS, which is projected to be 30 for 2010.
CAS continues to accept applications for the Korea program and the program continues to be a viable option for families who meet the program qualifications. For the most current list of requirements, please call to speak with the CAS Korea Program Coordinator.
September 2009
The wait from packet submission to referral has increased to 7 to 9 months. The children are still 10 to 12 months of age when they come home and the wait to travel once a referral has been accepted is still 3 to 4 months. This is still a short time frame for international adoption with young children being placed with families. One family will be traveling to pick up their child this month. Darlene Cirilli from Family & Children’s Agency (CAS networking partner) will be traveling to Korea in September to meet with the staff at Social Welfare Society. CAS continues to accept applications for the Korea program and the program continues to move along.
August 2009
The wait for referral has increased somewhat but still remains short in comparison to some other programs. Families continue to successfully move through the process. One family returned home with their baby boy last month. This program has created many happy families and is prepared to create more. CAS continues to accept applications for the Korea program. Korea continues to be an excellent option for families living in NC, SC, VA, and NJ. The program moves along consistently and has two families getting ready to travel. Please contact Heather Gordon to learn more about the CAS Korea adoption program.
July 2009
The Pohang Fire Light Festival will be held this year July 25 – July 26. This is a summer festival, held in Pohang’s Northern Beach, whose theme will be based on fire and light. Pohang is home to Homigot Beach, famous for its beautiful sunrise, as well as Posco, the world famous steel-manufacturing company. This Fire Light Festival is the largest festival in Pohang, with about three hundred thousand people expected to attend. Fireworks will be set off from several large barges afloat on the water to light up Yeongil Bay. Music and other shows will be included in the festivities. What a wonderful cultural event!
Korea continues to be an excellent option for families living in NC, SC, VA, and NJ. The program moves along consistently and has two families getting ready to travel. Please contact Heather Gordon to learn more about the CAS Korea adoption program.
Coloring Pages about Korea
June 2009
The Korea program continues to move along well with normal processing times. As mentioned in previous updates, some referrals were received 4 months after packet submission but this has not been a consistent trend, so we continue to project a 5-7 month wait for families.
Our networking agency, Family and Children’s Agency (FCA) will have a change in staff as of July 20, 2009. Kathy Sacco, who has worked with FCA for 11 years, will be leaving, and her assistant, Darlene Cirilli, will take her position as the Korea Program Coordinator. Darlene has worked very closely with Kathy and brings much adoption experience to her new role. This transition will have no impact on the program or families’ adoption process, as FCA has been working in Korea for over 20 years.
May 2009
CAS is accepting applications for the Korea program. The Korea program continues to move along with normal processing times. We have received several referrals within the past few months, and a couple of families are expected to travel soon!
As always, CAS welcomes families living in NC, SC, NJ, and VA to the Korea program, which is networked with Family & Children’s Agency (FCA) of Connecticut. Families adopting in the Korea program must meet the requirements of the Korean Social Welfare Society (SWS).
If you are interested in learning more about adopting from Korea, please join us for a webinar on this subject on May 19, register today. To talk with someone about this adoption program, contact Heather Gordon.
To view past Korea adoption program updates, please see our CAS Publications page and click on the Monthly Country Updates.