China Program Map & Full Descriptions

Holt currently manages 22 child welfare programs in 7 provinces, and more than 9,800 children benefitted from Holt’s services and outreach in China in 2012!

Holt International - China Program Map

BEIJING

Holt’s Peace House in Beijing

The Peace House: This childcare facility was taken over by Holt in September 2011 from its founder, Teresa Huangwu, who had been running the project independently for 8 years prior. She asked Holt to take over this project when she chose to retire because of Holt’s proven success in finding adoptive families for children with special needs, especially those with more involved medical conditions, such as cleft lip/palate, spinal bifida, club feet, and congenital heart disease. The project funds a facility in Beijing that provides Group Home-like care for special needs children from orphanages and foster care while they wait for surgery. Before and after critical surgeries and specialized medical interventions, they stay in the Peace House to recover. The maximum number of children in care at any one time is 8. About 90% of the children who received medical intervention through Peace House have since found permanent homes.

JILIN PROVINCE

Meihekou Special Needs Foster Care: This project started in 2000. There was no orphanage in Meihekou at that time. Abandoned children had originally been placed into local foster homes by the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA). At the end of 1999, due to financial crisis, the local MCA could not fund the foster care project adequately and 60 children who were in foster care were moved to a very poor public building. Many of the children could remember no other home than the one they had with their foster families. With Holt’s assistance and joint funding with the local MCA, these children were moved back to their foster homes. Most of these children are unable to be adopted due to age and/or serious special needs and will remain in long-term foster care. Holt provides formula, nutrition/boarding fee, subsidy for surgeries or medical care, fees for children’s physical examinations, and part of the foster mothers’ salary. Holt manages this project with Meihekou Orphanage.
Holt’s Foster Care program in Jilin, China

Jilin Foster Care: This project started formally in February, 2007 with 30 children. The purpose of this project is to serve the children with special needs in Jilin orphanage and to actively advocate for these children to find a permanent home of their own. Holt provides formula, nutrition/boarding fee, and the foster mothers’ salary. Jilin Orphanage is in charge of daily management, with frequent monitoring by Holt.
Changchun Foster Care: This project started in August, 2010. The purpose of this project is to serve both healthy and special needs children in Changchun Orphanage and to actively advocate for these children to find a permanent home of their own. Holt provides formula, nutrition/boarding fee, and the foster mothers’ salary. Changchun Orphanage is in charge of daily management, with frequent monitoring by Holt.

SHANXI PROVINCE

Yuncheng Family Strengthening: This project started in September, 2005. It was the first project attempted in cooperation between Holt International and the local Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA). It was also the first attempt by Holt at local community child welfare service. The purpose of this project is to serve children who are directly or indirectly impacted by HIV/AIDS in Yuncheng. With the support of the Yuncheng Special Orphaned Children Aid Center and MCA offices throughout different counties in Yuncheng, Holt provides a living stipend, funds for group activities, medical insurance, school boarding fees, and social work service for the children, as well as nutrition support for children who are HIV positive.

JIANGXI PROVINCE

Nanchang Baby Care Unit: This project started in 1999. The purpose of this project is to help Nanchang Orphanage improve the feeding and initial care of pre-mature babies, weak babies, and babies with special needs who are newly admitted to the institution, so that they can be quickly placed into foster care after their health is stable, while also reducing the mortality rate of children entering the orphanage. Holt provides the caretakers’ bonus, subsidy for night shift caretakers, and other miscellaneous expenses. Holt manages this project together with Nanchang Orphanage.
Nanchang Special Needs Foster Care: This project was started in January, 2002. At that time a Holt donor sponsored 10 children with Hepatitis B to be placed in foster care. Some of the current children have special needs and are on track to be adopted. Several others are children with cerebral palsy in need of rehabilitation therapy. Holt provides the children’s board, part of foster mothers’ stipend, subsidy for children’s clothing, the foster mothers’ bonus, and subsidies for the children’s education.
Nanchang Group Home: This project started in the 4^th quarter of 2004 and the Group Home officially opened on April 1, 2005. This was Holt’s first Group Home project in China. The goal of this project is to provide another mode of care for older children and special needs children besides foster care and institutional care, especially in cases where foster care may be problematic. This project sponsors 36 children from Nanchang Orphanage living with six Group Home families in a 3-story apartment complex (each family cares for six children). Since establishment, 175 children have lived in our Nanchang Group Home and 100 of them have been adopted into a family of their own. Holt’s Group Home program has been recognized by the Chinese Government as a successful model program and has been replicated all throughout China. Holt provides the Group Home mothers’ salary, subsidy for medical expenses, and bonus.
Nanchang Family Strengthening: This project started in May, 2007. This project serves children who live in impoverished families of the community. This was a new attempt to reach at-risk children following the model of Family Strengthening projects in Yuncheng, Fu’an, and Longchuan. Holt provides a subsidy for children’s basic living costs in boarding school and education fees. Holt manages this project together with the Resident Committee of the local community.
Fuzhou Foster Care: This project started in July, 2005. Most of the children in this project are on track to be adopted. We have an agreement with the orphanage that must be renewed annually. Holt provides the children’s formula, nutrition/boarding fee, and a transportation subsidy for the foster mothers. Fuzhou Orphanage is in charge of daily management, with frequent monitoring by Holt.
Shanggao Foster Care: This project started in 2003. Most of the children in this project are on track to be adopted. We have an agreement with the orphanage that must be renewed annually. Holt provides the children’s formula, nutrition/boarding fee, and a bonus for the foster mothers. Shanggao Orphanage is in charge of daily management, with frequent monitoring by Holt.
Fengcheng Foster Care: This project started in 2003. Most of the children are on track to be adopted. We have an agreement with the orphanage that must be renewed annually. Holt provides the children’s formula, nutrition/boarding fee, and a bonus for the foster mothers. Fengcheng Orphanage is in charge of daily management, with frequent monitoring by Holt.
Shangrao Foster Care: This project started in July, 2005. Currently, most of the children in this project are children with special needs. Some of them are on the track to be adopted, while some of them are children with cerebral palsy or severe developmental disabilities and are in need of rehabilitation therapy. We have an agreement with the orphanage that must be renewed annually. Holt provides the children’s formula, nutrition/boarding fee, and a bonus for the foster mothers. Shangrao Orphanage is in charge of daily management, with frequent monitoring by Holt.
Shangrao Group Home: In March 2009, Holt set up the second Group Home program in Shangrao Orphanage. There were 10 families at the beginning. As the number of children in orphanages decreased, so did the number of families in our Group Home. There are six families at present and each family takes care of 5 children, all under 3 years of age. Since establishment, over 160 children have lived in the Shangrao Group Home and 105 of them have been adopted into a home of their own. Holt provides the children’s formula, nutrition/boarding fee, medical care subsidy, and the Group Home parents’ bonus.

FUJIAN PROVINCE

Fu’an Family Strengthening: This project started in September 2006 and it serves children who live in extremely poor families in villages of the mountainous area of Fu’an. These children gather to study at Jinzhuotou Elementary school and other area boarding schools. Holt provides the children’s boarding fee and miscellaneous school expenses. Middle school students also receive petty cash from Holt. The schools are in charge of daily management, with frequent monitoring by Holt.

GUANGXI PROVINCE

Nanning Foster Care: This project started in 2001 and serves children with special needs in Nanning Orphanage. To date, the project has served more than 260 children with special needs, including cleft lip/palate, Down’s Syndrome, limb disabilities, autism, and cerebral palsy. These children have received the special attention and care they deserve from their foster family and grow up healthily and happily. Holt provides the foster care fee and a subsidy for education costs, as well as arranges different kinds of outing activities to help the children discover more about the outside world and learn to love others. Holt manages the project together with Nanning Social Welfare Institute.

Holt International - Nanning Family Strengthening

Holt’s Family Strengthening program in Nanning, Guangxi, China

Nanning Family Strengthening: This project started in Heng County in January 2010 and serves the orphans living in society and young students from impoverished single-parent families. All the children have lost at least one parent. In some cases, children with one parent are in at-risk situations because the remaining parent has left. With great collaboration from the local Government and our partners, we brought 2,154 children into our care by the end of 2011. This project is managed in partnership with the local Nanning Education Foundation. Holt provides a portion of the children’s nutritional support, education materials, and tuition fees for area boarding schools in this mountainous area. Some other expenses may also be covered by donations as needed, such as school uniforms or bedding.
Holt’s Foster Care program in Liuzhou, Guangxi, China

Liuzhou Foster Care: This project started in April 2002. In the beginning, this project was designed to serve 30 children with special needs, though healthier children were admitted into the program later. In collaboration with Liuzhou Children’s Welfare Institute, Holt exerts a great effort to advocate for the children to find a permanent home of their own, both in China and other countries. These efforts have been successful for more than 350 children from Liuzhou Children’s Welfare Institute since the start of Holt’s assistance. Holt provides formula, nutrition/boarding fee, the salary and bonus for foster mothers, a subsidy for special nursing care, and training sessions for the foster family and orphanage staff at least twice a year. Holt manages the project together with Liuzhou Children’s Welfare Institute. Holt received two awards from the local Liuzhou Government: the Special Charity Contribution in 2010 and Angel of Love in 2011.
Liuzhou Social Adaptation (knitting): This project started in 2005 and its purpose is to help young people with special needs living in the institution learn some vocational skills, enhance their self-esteem, build up their spirit of independence, and earn a little pocket money from selling their crafts. Holt provided the necessities to start up the knitting group and Liuzhou Children’s Welfare Institute hired teachers to organize daily activities for the group. Holt continues to provide annual funding for group activities to support the children in their experience of life outside the institution. Liuzhou Children’s Welfare Institute is in charge of daily management, with frequent monitoring by Holt.

Holt International - Liuzhou Arts & Dance

Holt’s Social Adaptation program in Liuzhou, Guangxi, China

Liuzhou Social Adaptation (arts & dance): The Art and Dance Group was organized in 2006 by Liuzhou Children’s Welfare Institute and Holt for children to experience some art and dance activities with the goal of enhancing socialization and artistic skills, adding a little color to their lives in the orphanage. This program now contains a musical instrument class (electronic piano, bamboo flute, yangqin, and drums), a dancing class, and a sports class (badminton, basketball, and martial arts). They practice twice a week and give performances on special days and festivals. Liuzhou Children’s Welfare Institute hired two teachers to tutor the children and Holt covers their fees. Holt also provides musical instruments as needed. Liuzhou Children’s Welfare Institute is in charge of daily management, with frequent monitoring by Holt.

YUNNAN PROVINCE

Longchuan Family Strengthening: This project started in March 2007 as a collaborative effort between Holt International and the local Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA). This project serves children directly or indirectly impacted by HIV/AIDS throughout the greater Longchuan area. Holt provides children with a living subsidy, petty cash for older children, funds for group activities, transportation costs for elementary school children living in boarding schools to visit their family during holidays, and their teachers’ salary. Holt manages this project together with the Longchuan MCA and Education Foundation.
Holt’s Hulusi (Chinese wind instrument) class in Longchuan, Yunnan, China

Longchuan Social Adaptation (music): This music project was organized with the goal of enhancing socialization and artistic skills. Around 30 children diagnosed with HIV who already receive services from Holt’s Family Strengthening Program participate in this project, as well as 20 additional children from the local community. A teacher was hired to tutor the children. Holt provides a monthly subsidy for the teacher’s salary and private donations through Holt have covered the cost of the children’s musical instruments. The local school is in charge of daily management, with frequent monitoring by Holt.