The following was published by the National Center for Adoption Law and Policy www.ncalp.org :
"The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption entered into force in the United States on April 1st. Under the Convention, adoptions between Hague Convention party countries may proceed only after the adoptive child's country of origin has verified the child is adoptable, that proper consideration was given to the child's adoption in the country of origin, that intercountry adoption is in the child's best interests, and that the necessary consents to the adoption have been freely given after appropriate counseling. In addition, the country receiving the child must determine that the prospective adoptive parents are eligible and suitable to adopt, and that the adoptive child will be authorized to enter and reside permanently in their country.
Persons wishing to adopt a child who is a resident of another party country must first apply to a designated authority for approval of an intercountry adoption. The Convention requires, in addition, that completed adoptions be recognized in the receiving country unless such recognition would be contrary to the country's public policy, taking the best interests of the child into account. Under the Convention, each party country is required to designate a Central Authority, which is responsible for the oversight of intercountry adoptions and the facilitation of cooperation and communication between the child’s country of residence’s Central Authority and the Central Authority of the country where potential adoptive parents reside.
The Department of State's Office of Children's Issues is the designated Central Authority for the United States. This Office will be responsible for determining the eligibility and suitability of applicants in intercountry adoption cases and determining the eligibility of a child sought to be adopted by applicants from other Convention party countries. The federal implementing legislation for the Convention, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, and regulations associated with the Act set the process for accreditation of adoption service providers in the U.S.
For more information on the Hague Convention, please visit the United States Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs website at: http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/convention/convention_462.html
A list of currently accredited agencies may be found at: http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/convention/convention_4169.html "
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