Who are WHFC Horizon Kids?

WHFC Horizon Kids are children of all ages in immediate need of homes. They wait in most countries we work in and are available for adoption without referral waiting periods for families. Some of these children have significant special needs. Others have mild, correctible conditions or are waiting simply because they are older than children families on our waiting lists are requesting (especially older boys) or sibling groups. With love, help, encouragement and a family's openness to accessing resources and support, many of these children have the potential for relatively normal growth and development! WHFC Horizon Kids need families who can look beyond a child's medical condition or circumstances to see the child they can become. WHFC Horizon Kids also need families who actively participate in pre-adopt education and are willing to access relevant medical, social, and emotional resources for themselves and the child.

Finding families for children who are harder to place is a vital part of our mission. In fact, nearly 20 percent of the children we now place are waiting children.

Is Yours the Right Family for a Waiting Child?

All types of families adopt WHFC Horizon Kids, including married couples, families with children, singles, first-time parents, older parents, etc. While they may be "ordinary" families, we find our most successful families have some things in common. That is, they are comfortable with and able to access medical, educational and therapeutic services for their child. In addition, these families are flexible with respect to their expectations and eager to help their child reach his or her fullest potential. Third, they have a complete home study and USCIS approval. Finally, these families have completed pre-adopt education and counseling, including Older Child Preparation and/or Special Needs Preparation.

Why Consider a Waiting Child?

Many families who have brought home waiting children never imagined adopting an older child or one with special needs when they began the process. However, they discovered the many reasons to consider a waiting child!

Once you have a completed home study and USCIS approval, you can be involved in identifying the specific child you wish to adopt from our WHFC Horizon Kids profiles and receive detailed medical information on that child. Eligibility with respect to your age, marital status, family composition and other requirements may be flexible, and you will receive a referral much faster than you would through the conventional adoption process. Subsidies are also available for some families through WHFC and other organizations. In addition, a small number of families considering children with more significant needs may qualify for a Seedling Gifts Program subsidy from Brittany's Hope, a non-profit foundation dedicated to helping place special needs children from around the world (WHFC administers Brittany's Hope grants).

Our experienced case managers are here to offer counseling and support as you consider whether a WHFC Horizon Kids adoption is right for your family. This includes comprehensive pre-adopt education and guidance on your comfort levels with respect to risk factors and decision making. You will also receive information on other valuable resources, including international adoption clinics and organizations focused on special needs, financial assistance and subsidies. In addition, our post-adopt team of social workers is here to support you during the initial adjustment period after your child arrives home and beyond through personal contact, WHFC post-adoption newsletters and educational Webinars.

Learn More About WHFC Horizon Kids

A WHFC Horizon Kids adoption may be a wonderful option for your family! For more information about waiting children and the referral process, we invite you to:

• Watch our online presentation
• Read candid accounts from our families in their own words of the challenges and joys of adopting these very special children, or we can arrange for you to speak with WHFC Horizon Kids families about their experiences
• Download our Adoption Services and Programs Guide for country-specific information on the age/overall health of these children, fees and when they are due
• Participate in a teleconference with the WHFC Horizon Kids team
• Contact a member of the WHFC Horizon Kids team
• Visit our resources section for additional information
• Register online to view WHFC Horizon Kids currently available for adoption. In general, you should have completed our pre-adopt education requirements for older and/or special needs adoptions and hold a completed home study and USCIS approval before viewing WHFC Horizon Kids profiles, as you will need to meet these requirements before being eligible to adopt these children.