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Is International Adoption Getting Easier?
By Pastor Claude Thomas | March 8, 2008
Author: Callie Preisendorf
For adoptive parents looking to adopt internationally, new legislation may make this process easier. Since the U.S. is the world leader in international adoption, with almost 120,000 overseas adoptions in the last seven years and 19,292 adoptions in 2007, they are leading a new treaty and teaming with over 70 other nations to standardize policies and procedures in the international adoption industry.
This industry was once unregulated, which often lead to accusations of corruption with everything from hidden fees to child abductions and “selling” of children. This treaty, which was ratified December 12, 2007, is called the Hague Convention and will give the federal government and adoptive parents a chance to see which agency is accredited and thus safe to work with.
According to the treaty guidelines, each country has a central authority which will establish the ethics and policies, track records, and approve or deny adoption agencies’ accreditation. In the U.S. the central authority is the State Department.
With the treaty now ratified, more than 300 applications for accreditation have already been filed and others will be accepted until Feb. 15, 2008. The agencies will be evaluated based on size, qualifications of the staff, financial resources, and their policies. They must inform parents of their policies, and provide parents with the health and history of the child being adopted. This type of information was previously unavailable to those pursuing international adoption.
Although the U.S. will still allow adoption from countries not in compliance with the treaty, the government’s regulations will show if an adoption center is not accredited, which may be a warning sign for adoptive parents. This could prevent Americans from being involved in corrupted practices, which currently are rumored to occur in countries like Guatemala.
The treaty could slow the process down for some couples, but it will hopefully save many others from heartbreak from corrupted adoption agencies. Time will tell how effective this treaty will be, but hopefully it will allow federal regulation to increase the safety and legitimacy of international adoptions.
Topics: Pastor Claude Thomas |
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