In April 2010, Spence-Chapin proudly celebrated 35 years of adoption from Korea, its successful partnership with the Social Welfare Society (SWS); and the placement of more than 2,600 infants and children with families.

It all began in the fall of 1974 when a representative of the American Korean Foundation approached Jane Edwards, the Executive Director of Spence-Chapin, and asked if the agency would help with an unusual adoption program. Healthy Korean children were forced to live in settlements with their parents who had Hansen’s Disease, and were considered "untouchables." The parents wanted their children to be adopted into a loving home where they could lead a stigma-free life and have an opportunity for education. Mrs. Edwards recommended to the board that the agency participate in Operation Outreach, headed by Bernice Gottlieb, and stated that help would be given by the American Korean Foundation in recruiting adoptive families from across the country.

Following review of the Study Policy Committee Report at its meeting in February 1975, the Board approved Spence-Chapin’s becoming Operation Outreach’s placement agency. The initial project included 77 children, from babies to 14 years of age, and applications were received from 300 families who were aware of the history of the children. Since the children were not orphans, special legislation needed to be passed by the U.S. Congress to allow for their immigration. These were to be "open adoptions" in that the children would be able to maintain ongoing contact with their birth families, a unique practice in the field of adoption at that time.

Placing children of parents with Hansen’s disease was the first cooperative work with Social Welfare Society (SWS) who then asked the agency to consider finding families for other Korean children in need of homes. This led to the signing of a formal agreement in 1975 by the President of SWS and the Executive Director of Spence-Chapin; and the start of the strong relationship that exists today.

In the fall of 1975, Mrs. Edwards reported to the Board that the Outreach Program was moving very slowly and that the parents who surrendered their children had become discouraged because it was taking such a long time for laws to be passed by Congress enabling non-orphan children to immigrate. Staff social worker Rosemary Stowe, who had traveled to Korea to act as an escort for children being adopted, also visited and talked to the birth parents of the Outreach children.

A separate bill was finally passed by Congress for each of the first eight Outreach children who arrived in New York on October 14, 1976. Their story was also covered on television, showing the birth families saying goodbye before they left St. Lazarus village and the adoptive parents and neighbors welcoming them to the U.S. Spence-Chapin had made preparations to help the adoptive families and children by engaging a Korean educator to assist with translation and issues that might arise during the transition.

In the fall of 1978, Felicia Van Praagh, a supervisor in the Adoption Department, returned from a trip to Korea during which she met with SWS social workers and escorted four children – ages 3 months, 7 months, 3 ½ years and 5 years – back to New York for adoptive placement. While she was there, the agency agreed to the placement of ten additional children, bringing the total to 35 for 1978. At this time, Koreans questioned the motivation of placing children cross-racially and outside of the country, but there were not enough foster families or adoptive families to keep them in their own country.

Jane Edwards took a trip in the spring of 1983 with Rosemary Stowe to visit SWS and orphanages in Seoul. She reported to the Board that many children were left by their families in orphanages because high unemployment meant they could not support them. The children were receiving good care but lacked sufficient mothering. On the return flight, they brought seven babies, ages 3 months to 21 months – back to New York and all were doing well.

In March 1979, Rosemary Stowe hosted a meeting for adoptive parents to talk about an intercountry parents’ group. They agreed that the group should be child oriented and that its focus should be on cultural and educational activities. Sarah Brezavar became temporary chairperson and Nan Cantor became the recording secretary. A party was planned and all families who had adopted from Korea were invited to a party in the Spence-Chapin garden on May 12, 1979.The name PACT (Parents and Children Together) was chosen. Many families who had adopted from Korea wanted to be part of the group even though they did not adopt through Spence-Chapin, so PACT decided to be inclusive of these families and Spence-Chapin was supportive.

In November 1981, the group’s name was changed to GIFT (Gathering International Families Together) because someone else had already used PACT. Tricia Banis came up with the name and the group’s newsletter was called GIFT Rap.

During GIFT’s most active period, there were 350 families, primarily from Spence-Chapin. One of the most popular activities for the group was Culture Day, an opportunity to celebrate the rich heritage of Korea. The group was so large that it used the Nightingale Bamford School, which had a sizeable auditorium and lunch room. Margo Mead was the inspiration behind many of the activities at Culture Day; and Sara and Bill Lavner organized and directed the many plays performed over the years by the children.

In 1987, Evan Donaldson, Polly Espy, Hildegarde Hennington, Patsy Taylor, Janet York and Barbara Hoyt visited Korea, accompanied by Rosemary Stowe, head of the Asian adoption program. They became the first members of Spence-Chapin’s board to escort children from Korea and place them in the arms of their adoptive families at JFK airport. Barbara Hoyt wrote, "The president of SWS and staff did everything they could to help the group understand the workings of the Social Welfare Society and also Korean customs and culture. We were impressed with the caliber of the social workers and with the intelligence, humor and hospitality of the Korean people we met… The day of our departure, we were joined by Judy McDermott, a Spence-Chapin adoptive mother who happened to be in Seoul. We had seven babies, one toddler and one 5-year-old boy to care for on the plane. The Korean passengers treated us kindly and showed us how to comfort them, Korean style (quite different from ours). Our arrival at JFK was momentous. The union of parents and children was a wonderful scene in which we all participated….But sadly, there are many more waiting in the shadows, yearning for love."

Rosemary Stowe reported to the Board Executive Committee Meeting in November 1988 on the trip that she and board member Nancy Carr took to Korea. She described how quiet the Baby’s Reception Home was compared to the previous year, as there were fewer children needing adoption. She said the sentiment was that the government wanted to be responsible for its own children, caring for them in Korea. Because of the situation, the number of children needing placement through Spence-Chapin was anticipated to be 40% fewer than in 1987, according to Mrs. Ok Ja Suh, the head of Intercountry Adoption at SWS. In addition, Spence-Chapin committed to place at least 20 children with medical problems.

In 1990, Kathy Legg became the executive director of Spence-Chapin and the agency received a spring visit from Mr. Cho, President of SWS. He said SWS was only placing children with three agencies worldwide and that Spence-Chapin was one of them. The number of children in Korea needing homes decreased due to government funding of abortion clinics, efforts to increase local adoption and declining birth rates. SWS planned to build a rehabilitation center for children with special needs and Mr. Cho hoped to raise a total of $500,000 for the project. In recognition of the children’s need and to mark the 15th anniversary of the SWS-Spence-Chapin partnership, the board decided to make a significant contribution. Later, the parent support group GIFT raised an additional $35,000.

In 1992, Flicka Van Praagh assumed new responsibilities as Director of the expanded International Department and worked closely with Nancy Wahlin, who was appointed Korean Program Coordinator after the retirement of Rosemary Stowe. In April, Kathy Legg and board member Sarah Brezavar traveled to Seoul to attend the dedication of AMSA, the new SWS Rehabilitation Center.

From the beginning, Spence-Chapin and SWS felt a responsibility to provide post-adoption services and connect adoptees to their heritage. In July 1994, the first "Roots Tour" for families was organized and escorted by Nancy Wahlin. The group, which was warmly welcomed by the President of SWS Reverend Kim, explored Seoul and visited historical sites. These family tours have continued to take place every summer since. Adoptees can arrange in advance to learn more about their backgrounds from SWS counselors who have, in some cases, been able to facilitate a reunion with foster parents or birth parents.

By the end of the 1990s, GIFT activities diminished as families became more dispersed with younger ones located in New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut. Sarah Brezavar and the group were delighted when Hollee McGinnis’s AKA (Also Known As) took over Culture Day and fulfilled in many ways the niche needed for kids. GIFT is fondly remembered by many families as being an important part of their lives.

During his visit to New York in fall of 1997, Reverend Kim reported that the Korean government had imposed a quota on the number of intercountry adoptions, based on how well each agency had done with in-country adoptions and that SWS had done particularly well. At the time, there was a growing dispute in Korea over the increasing numbers of children in institutions and Reverend Kim told the government that as a professional he could not go along with the idea of keeping children institutionalized. His goal was to place domestically all of the children left in the care of SWS after the intercountry quota was filled.

Reverend Kim also discussed fundraising efforts to fulfill the dream of building a "Guest House" in Seoul. The fourth and fifth floors were designed with family apartments and dormitories to accommodate the visits of SWS adoptees and their families, and to provide a place for new parents to stay when traveling to pick up their children. The first and second floors would house the Babies’ Reception Center, where newborns stay briefly until they are placed in their temporary foster homes; while the third floor would have the Cultural Learning Center, an information and networking center.

In January 1998, Ms. Legg proposed and the Board of Directors approved a major capital gift of $100,000 to SWS for the Guest House. It was agreed that this gift would be an enduring tribute to the over 2,000 children who had been placed to date with Spence-Chapin adoptive families. Attending the Guest House opening ceremony on January 18, 2001, were executive director Kathy Legg, board member Sarah Brezavar, Korean program coordinator Nancy Wahlin, parent Ed Bloom and his daughter Emily, who was adopted from Korea. In her speech, Ms. Legg remarked that it was visionary on the part of Reverend Kim to recognize how important the Guest House would be in making it easier for adoptees and their families to return to Korea. A conference room on the fourth floor was named in honor of Spence-Chapin.

In July of 2000, sisters Amy and Kate Hendel traveled to the land of their birth as the first recipients of the new Korean Summer Internship Program. Their journey took place through the generosity of adoptive parents Ellie and Ed Bloom, who established the program in 1999 to give adult adoptees a greater understanding of adoption and their heritage. Every summer, it has allowed two Spence-Chapin adoptees to spend a month in Korea and help care for young children at Ehwa Baby’s Reception Center in Naju, a culturally rich, mountainous region. While staying at SWS Guest House and exploring Seoul, recipients can learn about their backgrounds from the SWS Post-Adoption Department and sometimes have a reunion with their foster or birth families.

In April 2010, Spence-Chapin hosted Korea35 to celebrate 35 years of finding homes for children in cooperation with its South Korean partner Social Welfare Society (SWS). This Family Reunion Weekend took place Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25, 2010.

Day One was marked by a benefit reception at the Asia Society and Museum and a presentation of the "Spence-Chapin Awards for Excellence in Adoption," to three honorees. Recognized for their outstanding contributions in advocating for and supporting children in need of adoptive homes were: Sarah Brezavar, founding parent of the Gathering International Families Together (GIFT); Hollee McGinnis, founder of Also-Known-As (aka), an advocacy organization for Korean adoptees; and the Social Welfare Society which was represented by its president Mr. Chang, Sang Chun.

All-day festivities took place on Saturday, April 24 with a wide range of cultural activities, ideal for the entire family. Highlights included performances by Korean musicians and storytellers, arts and crafts, Tae Kwon Do demonstrations, interactive games, language classes, film screenings and seminars on adoption-related issues. On Sunday, April 25, Spence-Chapin held a closing breakfast for attendees.