OUR HISTORY
Helping Vulnerable Children for 50 Years
1974 – 1983
1972
Massachusetts couple Don and Marilyn Scott, relief workers in Vietnam, founded My Friend’s House (MFH) in war-torn Saigon and establish a nutrition center to help starving, abandoned children. The Scotts also engage Pam Larsen, an adoptive parent, to pursue licensing for adoptions in Massachusetts.
1974
MFH becomes licensed for adoptions in Massachusetts. It is the first secular adoption agency in the state.
1975
Tom and Diane Palmeri, colleagues of the Scotts who run the nutrition center, leave Vietnam on one of the last commercial flights out before the fall of Saigon. MFH ceases to exist—but not until administrator Faith Pham returns every child to his or her family and places orphaned or abandoned children in foster homes.
1976
International Adoptions, Inc., the adoption arm of MFH, opens its South Korea adoption program. Today, along with our partner Holt Children’s Services, Wide Horizons For Children has placed more than 4,500 children with loving adoptive families.
1977
International Adoptions opens its Colombia adoption program. Today, Wide Horizons For Children has placed 1,750 children from South and Central American countries — including 400 children from Colombia — with loving adoptive families. Learn more about adopting from Colombia.
1978
International Adoptions opens its U.S. (domestic) adoption program and begins to counsel expectant birth parents. Today, Wide Horizons For Children has placed almost 900 children with loving adoptive families.
1984 – 1993
1986
International Adoptions begins to offer post-adoption services to its adoptive families, which today includes support and counseling, search and reunion services, and networking and cultural opportunities.
1989
International Adoptions changes its name to Wide Horizons For Children to better reflect expanding programs in family strengthening, orphan care and post-adoption support.
1991
Wide Horizons For Children opens its China adoption program. Today, Wide Horizons For Children has placed almost 2,037 children from China with loving adoptive families.
1993
Wide Horizons For Children begins to offer subsidies to families who are adopting children with special needs.
1994 – 2003
2000
In partnership with Family Service Centre, Wide Horizons For Children starts a Child Sponsorship program in India.
2002
Wide Horizons begins to support two family orphanages, called hogares, in Guatemala.
2003
Wide Horizons For Children begins to work in Ethiopia with an initial focus on adoption and family strengthening. Today, the Child Sponsorship program supports families and children living in poverty.
2004 – 2013
2007
In partnership with Family Service Centre, Wide Horizons For Children launches a Community Development program in India to preserve and strengthen vulnerable families.
2008
Wide Horizons For Children begins its support of vocation training for orphans aging out of institutional care in Moldova.
also in 2008
Wide Horizons For Children begins its Child Sponsorship program in Guatemala to support families living in poverty and their children who are at risk for abandonment.
2009
Wide Horizons For Children builds Adwa Health Clinic and the Leku Primary Hospital in Ethiopia to help reduce maternal mortality and prevent children from becoming orphans.
2010
Wide Horizons For Children opens its Burundi adoption program.
2014 – Today
2014
The Education through Wellness School Nutrition program began, providing school lunch and holiday rations to 40 school children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At its peak, it served more than 150 children. It was discontinued in 2021 when the Ethiopian government instituted its own school nutrition program in Addis.
2017
Leku Hospital is recognized as a leading training and teaching hospital in Ethiopia, providing support for other hospitals in the region.
