|
Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention Enters into Force
On April 1, 2008, the /Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption /(the Convention) enters into force for the United States. As of this date, the provisions of the Convention will govern both immigrating (incoming) and emigrating (outgoing) intercountry adoptions between the United States and other Convention countries.
Implementing the Convention and the IAA has led to many changes in the U.S. intercountry adoption process. Some of these key changes are:- Federal accreditation, through accrediting entities designated by
the Department, of adoption service providers who provide certain
key adoption services in connection with Convention adoption cases.
- The replacement of the Department of Homeland Security petition
forms I-600A and I-600 for orphans with new forms I-800A and I-800
for “Convention adoptees.”
- New documents will be issued by consular officers overseas in
Convention cases stating that the requirements of the Convention
and the IAA have been met for an adoption or custody declaration
completed overseas. These are the Hague Adoption Certificate (HAC)
or Hague Custody Certificate (HCC), which will accompany the IH-3
or IH-4 immigrant visa.
- For the outgoing adoption or custody declaration completed in the
United States, the Department will issue the HAC or Hague Custody
Declaration (HCD) stating that the requirements of the Convention
and the IAA have been met.
- The creation of the Adoption Tracking Service (ATS) through which
the Department will track both incoming and outgoing cases. For
the first time, it will be possible to track the cases of American
children who are adopted by citizens of other (Hague) countries.
Previously there was no federal role in these cases, and no system
for collecting information from the various states about the
numbers and destinations of American children adopted abroad.
- The creation of a Hague Complaint Registry to track public
complaints related to intercountry adoptions.
For more information on the Convention’s implementation in the United States, please visit the “Intercountry Adoption” section of our website at www.travel.state.gov or contact the U.S. Central Authority at AdoptionUSCA@state.gov.
Adopt Abroad Inc. is a member of the: 
http://www.jcics.org/
|
