In May of 1974, MaryLee Fahrenbrink Lane was living in the Philippines and recognized the enormous plight of hundreds of abandoned children who were unlikely to live even to age five. Due to MaryLee's efforts, a pilot program was established in early 1975, which eventually led to an initial inter-country adoption program, with the first 16 children matched for placement by July of that year. While waiting to come home, children were placed with American and European foster families, where they were readied both physically and emotionally for travel to their new homes. In March of 1976, the Philippine government asked MaryLee to include additional abandoned and surrendered children into the foster home program. MaryLee established a program called Create Responsive Infants By Sharing (CRIBS). Response to and support of this program was enormous and shortly resulted in approximately 350 children being given the chance and the will to live. Their medical needs were professionally met and emotional and nutritional needs were provided by loving foster families. As the children responded and the time and legal requirements were met, the children moved on to permanent and loving homes all around the world.

In 1977, due to changes within the Philippines, MaryLee returned to the United States where she incorporated internationally as a non-profit entity and received national attention for her efforts and the plight of children. Within a short time period where the Philippines attempted to place children only within the Philippines, their orphanages were overcrowded and MaryLee was able to participate in re-opening the inter-country adoption programs once again. A name change from CRIBS to Hand In Hand International Adoptions became official.

As the years since 1974 have passed, many new countries around the world have opened their doors for international adoptions and have requested assistance from Hand In Hand. Over 30 years later, over 6,000 children have been placed through the diligent efforts of a talented and dedicated staff led by the hopes and dreams of MaryLee.

The agency is licensed as a non-profit child placement agency in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, and Minnesota with operational offices in Mesa, AZ; Fort Collins, CO; Ocala, FL; Albion, IN; and St. Paul, MN. We are also licensed to do placements anywhere within the United States. Donations made to Hand In Hand are tax deductible under the agency's 501(c)(3) status with the I.R.S.

Hand In Hand employs a "cradle-to-grave" philosophy. Our staff is trained and ready to assist the families from the first inquiry call until their adoptive child has become a healthy adult and beyond. The families are given thorough training about the adoption process as well as the issues surrounding children's emotional needs. The agency plays the role of the expert on behalf of the families throughout the process, smoothing the mountains of bureaucratic paper into easy to follow avenues through Immigration and federal and foreign governments. We have always, and always will, follow the letter of the law of the country with which we are working, in order to protect the rights of the child. Following the placement of a child, the agency actively assists in the adjustment by utilizing sensitive social workers who are available to the families indefinitely. If you are a family residing in a state other than where we have licensed offices, we will be working with your local home study agency.  Hand In Hand also supplies ongoing support to the families through country-specific support groups and cultural training sessions, quarterly newsletters, and annual agency picnics and holiday parties. Motherland Tours are taken with adoptees, once they are teenagers, who desire to return to their homeland to be in touch with their roots. As the young people testify, these are very rewarding and life changing for them.

Words are important but the SMILES of the children tell it all. An orphanage cannot be the ultimate for a child. A child needs a home and loving parents to call his/her very own. As one walks through an orphanage one cannot help but see the pleading looks and the little arms extended for love. What better place for a once abandoned child, than to be placed in the arms of loving parents who will call that child their own forever.