DOS released the FY 2013 Annual Report on Intercountry Adoption:http://adoption.state.gov/content/pdf/fy2013_annual_report.pdf Ethics, Transparency, Support~ What All Adoptions Deserve.http://www.pear-now.org/ People for Ethical Adoption Reform www.pear-now.org
The “Children in Families First Act of 2013” (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s1530), sponsored by Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, begins with the assumption that “The people of the United States recognize and believe that children must grow up in permanent, safe, and nurturing families in order to develop and thrive.” Unfortunately, that underlying assumption by the Senator and her co-sponsors is not …
The Colombian Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF) formally announced several important changes in Colombia’s management of intercountry adoptions. Beginning July 15, 2013, ICBF will no longer accept new intercountry adoption applications from non-Colombian citizens living abroad interested in adopting a child under 6 years and 11 months old, unless ICBF considers the child to have special characteristics or needs. Families …
June 7, 2013 The Department of State and the Adoption Authority of Ireland have concluded discussions on an operating arrangement for Irish prospective adoptive parents to adopt children who are eligible for intercountry adoption in the United States and who will emigrate from the U.S. to Ireland under Hague Adoption Convention (Convention) procedures. The operating arrangement includes eligibility standards for …
June 7, 2013 The U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou, which processes all U.S. immigrant visas in China, will be moving to the Zhujiang New Town area of Guangzhou. This spacious and modern facility will house consular services for visa applicants and for U.S. citizens. The Consulate General will suspend operations on or about July 15, and will resume adoption-related visa …
El Salvador and the United States are parties to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (“Convention”). Therefore, all adoptions between El Salvador and the United States initiated after April 1, 2008, must meet the requirements of the Convention and the U.S. and Salvadoran laws implementing the Convention. The U.S. Embassy in San …
Joint USCIS-State Delegation to Guatemala During the week of May 13, 2013, Special Advisor for Children’s Issues Ambassador Susan Jacobs traveled with USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas to Guatemala for meetings with Guatemalan government officials of agencies directly involved in adoptions, including the Procuraduría General de la Nación (PGN) and the Guatemalan National Council on Adoption (CNA). They also met with members of the Supreme …
“This signature will serve as a pivotal case ensuring the best interests of children born here to grow up in a family here as well, while taking responsibility of the safety and human rights of internationally adopted children to show our country’s will to realign our children’s rights standard to match the global standard, herein and abroad,” said Minister Chin …
Ghana May 20, 2013 The Government of Ghana has temporarily suspended processing of all adoption cases, including intercountry adoptions, pending Ghana’s review of its current adoption procedures. All adoption cases which have not received final approval by the Ghanaian Department of Social Welfare are subject to this suspension. At this time, adoption cases which have completed processing with the Ghanaian …
Democratic Republic of CongoMay 16, 2013 Notice for Individuals Seeking Further Information Following the Department of State’s May 14 Conference Call The Department of State has received information that a number of adoption service providers and prospective adoptive families were unable to join the conference call on adoptions from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on May 14, 2013. …