Take Action Today to Save International Adoption

Save Adoption and Keep Adoption Affordable!

Greetings!

It’s time for the adoption community to wake up and take action about the decline of inter-country adoption.

If the trend continues, inter-country adoptions will reach Zero in 4 years.

The new accrediting entity, IAAME, set their budget based on a decline of 20% from the previous year. Adoptions have declined by at least 1,000 cases every year since 2004. In 2016, there were only 5,200 adoptions. If the 1,000 per-year decline trend continues, inter-country adoptions will reach zero in just 4 years.

Take Action to Voice Your Concern

The National Council for Adoption is asking you to call your Senators and Congressmen to voice concern about the changes in inter-country adoption. Click here for more information about the Feb 7-8 call-in day to congress, the small business administration, and the media.

$500 Monitoring Fee Per Adopted Child

With new Dept of State regulations, families can expect to pay $500 extra per child they expect to adopt. This is a mandatory oversight fee that takes effect Feb 15, 2018. Adoption agency clients should expect fee schedules to change soon and reflect these new charges.

Read more here.

Survey of Agencies Shows Bleak Future

In 2006 there were 255 Hague-accredited agencies. In 2017, there were only 167. On average, one adoption agency per month goes out of business, or loses or forfeits its accreditation. If the trend of 1 agency losing or leaving behind its accreditation per month continues, one would conclude that there will be no Hague-accredited agencies left in 13 years. However, a recent survey of all Hague agencies shows a much bleaker future. Given the stifling regulation and more than tripling of accreditation fees, one-half of the Hague- accredited agencies have indicated that they plan not to seek accreditation at all with IAAME. This means they will either stop providing international adoption services, or yjey will merge with another agency that does. 

Accreditation Budget Increases by 1700%

The budget for COA, our previous accrediting entity, was about $170,000 per year. With new government regulation, the budget for IAAME, the new accrediting entity, will be $3.5 Million dollars.  Obviously, all of this cost will be passed on to adoptive families, representing about $1000 per family.  

Why is this happening?

For a simple answer to why inter-country adoption is on the decline read this blog post.

What Do We Want? 

Although there are many things the Department of State could do to increase adoptions, here are 4 simple requests which have been denied:

1. Set a goal for the number of adoptions to increase. Goals matter. The Office of Children’s issues celebrates the number of adoption agencies closed down. This seems to be their goal and the accomplishment they advertise. Adoptions have declined from 24.000 annually to 5,000 annually. Would OCI like to see 4000 next year, or 6000 next year? We have no idea, but can only presume they want a decrease.
2. End the US DOS self-imposed moratorium on adoptions from Guatemala, Cambodia, and Nepal. These counties want the US to participate in adoption, but the US won’t allow it.
3. Abandon the concept of Country specific authorization in the September, 2016 proposed regulations
4. Abandon the foster-style training requirement proposed in the September, 2016 regulations.

See more about these efforts at www.saveadoptions.org

Please take action to help save inter-country adoption.

Sincerely,

Robin E. Sizemore
Executive Director
Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc.

Ethiopia’s Parliament votes to end intercountry adoption: Listen to NCFA’s Ryan Hanlon of BBC

Ethiopia’s parliament has passed legislation banning intercountry adoption.

NCFA’s Ryan Hanlon joined BBC World Service Radio to discuss how this decision places unparented children at risk. NCFA believes that a global child welfare continuum should prioritize reunification, kinship adoption/guardianship, and in-country domestic adoption options, all before intercountry adoption is considered. Unfortunately, Ethiopia’s reunification and kinship placement efforts are limited, and there are not enough Ethiopian adoptive homes available to meet the needs of thousands of unparented children. This ban will leave them to languish in long-term institutional care or life on the streets, and many with special needs face death.

Since 1999, more than 15,000 Ethiopian children have been adopted by American families. Adoption has given them a chance to thrive, despite unfathomable trauma and loss at a young age. In recent years, the global community has taken great strides to improve the safety and transparency of intercountry adoption, and diplomacy and dialogue is leading to stronger safeguards against corruption, exploitation, and abuse. We know this to be true; we’re part of that diplomacy in action. Every year NCFA meets with international child welfare leaders who are vigilantly and passionately committed to the children in their nations who need safe, loving homes. Children deserve families, and Ethiopia’s children deserve better. We will continue to advocate on their behalf. You can join us. Start by listening to our interview with BBC Radio here.

IF YOU BELIEVE EVERY CHILD MUST HAVE A PERMANENT FAMILY TO BE LOVED AND PROTECTED, YOUR VOICE MATTERS TODAY!

“We are called for such a time as this and we won’t give up until every child has the opportunity to be loved and cared for in a forever family.”

Show Support NOW!

• We believe in the goals of Save Adoptions
• Every child deserves a safe, loving, permanent family
• For children without parents due to death, abandonment or termination of rights, adoption should be readily available in their own country or, if not possible within their own country in a reasonable period of time, through intercountry adoption.
• Adoption should be available for every eligible child with as few obstacles as possible, through a transparent, ethical and honest adoption system.
• The government’s role in intercountry adoption should be to support the human rights of a child to a permanent family and to encourage other countries to develop adoption systems that are transparent, ethical and honest and protect the rights of a child.
• Institutionalization of children should be a last resort for children for whom a permanent family is not available.

Click here if you: SUPPORT THE GOALS OF SAVE ADOPTIONS

Please share and ask your family and friends to do the same.

Adoption Alert—Suspension of Adoptions from Ethiopia

On April 21, an official from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Women and Children (MOWA) informed U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa that it is suspending its processing of intercountry adoption cases, effective immediately. The U.S. Department of State does not yet know how long this suspension will last. The Office of Children’s Issues and the Embassy are working with MOWA to seek more information on the terms of the suspension. We will urge MOWA to complete processing of cases that were in progress prior to this suspension.

If you have questions about your pending case, please contact your Adoption Service Provider. You may also write to ConsAdoptionAddis@state.gov if you have questions about an adoption-related visa application or immigrant petition. You may copy the Office of Children’s Issues at Adoption@state.gov on your email to the Embassy if you wish.

Please continue to monitor adoption.state.gov for updated information on intercountry adoption in Ethiopia.

New Contact Information for the National Benefit Center

Dear Adoption Community,

We would like to share the following information we received from the National Benefits Center:
Effective today, the National Benefits Center will consolidate our public email boxes into one box.

We will only use NBC.Adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov and have deactivated NBC.Hague@uscis.dhs.gov.

We are in the process of updating our contact information on https://www.uscis.gov/adoption/uscis-adoption-contact-information.

In the meantime, messages received to the NBC.Hague mailbox will be automatically redirected to the NBC.Adoptions mailbox through a system ‘rule’ for one year, expiring on May 1, 2018.

We would appreciate your assistance in directing your staff and our customers to NBC.Adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov going forward. Our contact telephone number remains the same (877-424-8374).

Sincerely,

The Office of Children’s Issues
Official  UNCLASSIFIED

New Intercountry Adoption Statistics Continue Decline: Now available

Annual Report on Intercountry Adoptions Narrative

The 2016 Annual Report on Intercountry Adoption, as required by Section 104 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, provides data and other information on intercountry adoptions to and from the United States from October 1, 2015, through September 30, 2016. The report is released after a thorough review of the available data to ensure the information is accurate. In addition to the actual data, this review includes a summary of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Children’s Issues, Adoption Division’s efforts for the fiscal year.

Continue reading (PDF)

Save Adoptions — Phase II

Dear families,

Less than 5 months ago, we were facing the imposition of new regulations from the Department of State which would have raised the cost of adoptions for our client families, created financial and operational obstacles for our agencies and guaranteed the continued decline in intercountry adoptions.
Eighty-eight agencies and other adoption service providers stepped up and signed an open letter to the Department of State urging that these proposed regulations be withdrawn.  In addition, almost 28,000 adoption supporters joined us and signed our Petition to the Department of State.  On April 4^th, our collective voices were heard and the proposed regulations were withdrawn.

Whether you supported our efforts or not, we urge you to continue to fight the attack on intercountry adoptions.  We have tasked our SaveAdoptions.org web site to continue the fight.  For the next 4-6 weeks, we will be highlighting the travesty in Nepal.  Whether you have, or would like to adopt from Nepal, or maybe you just care about suffering children, you can’t be happy about the blanket suspension of adoptions from Nepal which has been in place for over 6 years, despite no proof of the fraudulent documentation alleged by USCIS.

First, take a look at the updated www.saveadoptions.org web site.  Second, please use your mailing lists to urge your family and friends to sign the plea to lift the Nepal suspension.  We had 27,949 signatures before updating the web site, so we will know how many adoption supporters sign on for this next phase of intercountry adoption support.  Your signature will Support the Cause of Nepalese orphans. If you have already signed the original petition, know that this is a new petition and your signature is vital. 

Thank you for considering this important issue and getting involved.  (Share, re-tweet, or send an email)

Adoption Notice – Poland Restructure of International Adoption Process

Dear Adoption Community,

Adoption Notice: Poland – Restructure of international adoption process on March 6, 2017

“The Government of Poland is revising its policies on intercountry adoptions under the Hague Adoption Convention. Poland has indicated its intent to prioritize domestic adoptions, except in the case of intercountry adoptions of siblings related to children already adopted through intercountry adoption, intrafamily adoptions, and adoptions by Polish citizens living abroad. It is unclear how these intended changes will impact intercountry adoptions from Poland sought by U.S. citizen families that are already in process, but in cases in which referrals have not yet been received, parents may see extended delays. The actual impact and form of these changes is still to be determined, and we will continue to update this page as more information becomes available.”

Your Foreign Born Child: What You MUST Know

Your Foreign Born Child: A Checklist of All Documentation Needed




 








Bargaining Chips: Why Russian Orphans May Become Political Pawns

Adoption Notice Regarding Impact of January 27 Executive Order 01/01/2017

The Office of Children’s Issues has received inquiries about the January 27, 2017 Executive Order on Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals, and how it may impact intercountry adoptions involving children from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
 

Travelers, including adopted children, who are nationals of one of these countries, are not permitted to enter the United States or be issued an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa for 90 days, beginning January 27, 2017.

 

The Executive Order provides that “the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security may, on a case-by-case basis, and when in the national interest, issue visas or other immigration benefits to nationals of countries for which visas and benefits are otherwise blocked.” We are working closely with the Department of Homeland Security to identify exceptions to this Executive Order that are in the national interest.

 

We will update adoption.state.gov as more information becomes available. Please contact adoption@state.gov with inquiries related to specific intercountry adoptions already in process.

Are You Thinking About Summer Already?

Source: http://www.adoptioncouncil.org

By Erin Bayles and Sarah Alger

“The camps are a lot of fun for me because I grew up in a pretty small town where there was not a huge Asian population, so it was a very special experience to get together with so many other Asian kids who were also adopted.”
– Nora Burgess, reminiscing about her experiences at adoption culture camps

 

 

Introduction

After being adopted from China as an infant, Nora Burgess and her mother, Phebe, attended two different culture camps. When Nora was in preschool they attended a three-day camp in Maine, run by Families with Children from China, where they met other families with adopted children from China. Year later, they went to another camp held at a YMCA facility in Asheville, North Carolina. Nora recalled that the camps heightened her interest in Chinese culture, as “they covered so many different topics: dance, singing, calligraphy, traditional children’s games, cooking, speaking, etc.” One special memory stuck with her: the camp counselors would perform traditional Chinese stories and dances and encourage the children to join in. Her mother Phebe’s favorite memory was the closing ceremony, which included a Dragon parade and performances by the children.

Now twenty-one years old, Nora continues to learn about her Chinese heritage through her studies at college. Overall, she said, she was glad her mother went with her to the culture camps, as they offered extended resources on her birth culture and supplemented her family’s own exploration in a fun, memorable way.

Continue reading.

The Risks of Simultaneous Multiple Placements in Intercountry Adoption Practice

Source: www.adoptioncouncil.org

By Penny Collins, LMSW

 

Introduction

Since the mid-1940s, the practice of adopting orphaned children internationally has experienced peaks as well as periods of decline, driven in part by public interest, world wars, changing regulations and oversight, and politics. Reaching its height in numbers in the early 2000s, with more than 20,000 children adopted from abroad each year, intercountry adoption has been on the decline since its peak in 2004. The number of annual adoptions into the United States dropped to 5,647 in 2015.¹ With intercountry adoptions becoming more difficult to obtain, timelines for adoptive families lengthening, and the age range of available children widening, agencies are increasingly met with requests from families wanting to adopt more than one child at a time, adopt children who may be out of birth order with existing children, or adopt children close in age with existing children (often referred to as “artificial twinning”).

While some might look at the situation for many orphaned and institutionalized children and consider these simple, reasonable requests to grant, the reality is far more complex. Regardless of intent, adoption cannot benefit children when they do not thrive in their adoptive homes—and this sad outcome is doubly regrettable when contributing factors, such as the increased stress often caused by multiple unrelated child placements, could have been avoided.

This article seeks to examine the risks and implications of multiple simultaneous adoptions into one family, the ethics surrounding these decisions, and current best practices in this area.

Continue reading.

Make-A-Wish Grants First Ever Adoption Wish to Our Hopscotch Family: Abigail’s Wish Came True!

WITH AN UNPRECENTED WISH, A FAMILY IS MADE COMPLETE

Just in time for the holidays, Make-A-Wish® North Texas makes Abigail’s one true wish come true.

IRVING, TEXAS –– Make-A-Wish® is known for moving mountains to help fulfill the most heartfelt wishes for Wish Kids around the world. For Abigail, this was particularly true. Her wish is the first of its kind for Make-A-Wish and has been nearly two years in the making. It required stars aligning in a profoundly moving and certainly life-altering way.

Abigail was adopted from a Bulgarian orphanage by her parents Dorcas and Tony in 2013. She was 13 at the time and while she was obviously elated to join her new family in the United States, it was also bittersweet as she had to leave Caroline, her roommate and closest friend in the world, behind.

But that was not to be the end of their story. Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis Abigail was granted a wish by Make-A-Wish North Texas. She deliberated only briefly. Would it be a trip to Hollywood or something else…something she had in mind with deep personal meaning? With her parents’ blessing, Abigail wished for them to adopt Caroline, still dreaming of a family. Make-A-Wish North Texas agreed to help facilitate and manage the logistics surrounding this most unusual wish. People around the world got involved to help, including the teams at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth and Hopscotch Adoptions.

Now, just in time for the holidays, Abigail’s wish is coming true. The girls will be reunited, now as sisters. Abigail summed up her feelings when she wrote, “Thank you God for telling me that I needed a sister!”
“How truly wonderful to be able to grant Abigail’s wish and at the same time make dreams come true for Caroline,” said Scotty Landry, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish North Texas. “This unique wish has been life-altering for all involved. We are honored to be able to help bring this family together for the holidays.”

“We were honored when the Grubaugh family chose Hopscotch to help bring their first daughter home from Bulgaria and when we were asked to be their placing agency for their second daughter, we were elated!” said Robin Sizemore, Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions,Inc. “We learned later on that their adoption was going to be realized through the support of Make-A-Wish North Texas chapter and that this was the first adoption, much less intercountry adoption, wish ever granted. The Make-A-Wish North Texas chapter is incredibly generous and truly listened to Abigail’s one true wish… to be the sister to her best friend left behind in Bulgaria. We cannot think of a more beautiful wish to be granted. We are ever grateful to everyone that generously supports Make-A-Wish, this is truly one of the most rewarding experiences for everyone involved.”

Update:
On December 21^st, the family arrived in Dallas after a very long and exhausting day of travel. As Caroline stepped off the plane, she became a United States citizen and began her new life.

# # #

Facebook:
After two years in the making, Abigail’s wish is now a reality! Click here for photos.

Live from DFW Airport for a heartwarming homecoming! We celebrate Abigail’s wish for her family to adopt her best friend from the same Bulgarian orphanage she was adopted from 3 years ago. Join us in welcoming this new family of 4 home!

Welcome home Abigail and Caroline! We wish everyone a very happy holiday season. We know this will be one to remember for this family!

About Make-A-Wish® North Texas
Make-A-Wish North Texas grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Since our inception in 1982, more than 9,500 wishes have been granted throughout the 161 counties we serve. Our goal is to be a unique part of the treatment process. With doctors providing the medicine, and Make-A-Wish supplying the magic, we strive to create miracles in the lives of some very extraordinary children. For more information on Make-A-Wish North Texas, please visit www.ntx.wish.org.

Save Adoptions: Follow up with your Members of Congress!

On Tuesday, we asked you to call Congress and ask them to sign a letter expressing concern about the Department of State proposed intercountry adoption regulations. So far, even though several Congressional offices have called the co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition of Adoption with questions, the letter only has signatures from three Senators and four Representatives. If you made a call, send a reminder email to your office’s staffer today (click here to see our sample follow-up email). If you haven’t made a call yet, it’s not too late. Make a call today – all signatures must be in by Monday, November 21st, but calls should be done sooner so Congressional staff have time to take a look and get it approved by the Member of Congress. before the deadline to sign.

Being an advocate is easy! We chatted with Ashlie H. and Lydia T. who both called their Members of Congress this week. Here’s how it went!

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You made some calls on Advocacy Day. Can you tell us about those?

Ashlie: I made calls on Advocacy Day to the offices of Congresswoman Susan Brooks and Senator Daniel Coats. Before this, I hadn’t been passionate about something enough to call my representatives in office so this was my first experience. While calling Susan Brooks’ office, I was caught off guard because someone actually answered the phone. I was expecting a machine. They were very nice and asked questions about the reason for my call and we joked about how I was flustered at first because I wasn’t expecting a live person. They were very nice. For Senator Coat’s office, I did leave a lengthy voicemail but I was a pro by this point so it was easy to state the reason for my call and why I was concerned.

Lydia: I am first an adoptive mother and second an adoption professional. I called Congressman Todd Young’s office and while I didn’t speak directly with someone, their office did take my name and information and promised I would hear back from them. I also left a message with Senator Joe Donnelly’s office about the current issues.


Lydia and her family pose for a pic.

Why was it so important to you to call your Members of Congress?

Ashlie: I have the privilege of being called "Mommy" by two of the most beautiful children from Bulgaria. Adoption has grown and completed our family. I feel strongly that all children belong in a loving, forever home and the Bible calls us all to advocate for those who have no voice. When I was calling, I was calling for the children without a voice. I feel that adoption is already so hard, so lengthy, so expensive… it’s easy to turn your back on the idea. Unfortunately, turning your back on that idea will rob so many of the greatest joys. International adoptions have decreased by 75% since 2004 AND over 80% of people who have thought about adoption did not follow through because of the expenses and time involved. I cannot fathom why our government deems it necessary to add more time, fees, and regulation to an already long and expensive process. This will deter even more families from following through, and it’s the children who suffer. I wish those sitting behind a desk thinking up these new regulations would go and visit orphanages all over the world. Then they would see the need. They would ask why it was so hard. Why these children do not know the love of a family. It’s heartbreaking and we must do something.

Lydia: It was important to me, again, as an adoptive parent to create an awareness of the proposed changes because I know from firsthand experience what a family means to children who are waiting around the world. Also, as an adoption professional, I wanted my representatives to understand what an impact this could make to the future of adoption, and what is in the best interest of a child.
If I sit back and do nothing children will suffer, my job could be at risk and even worse children could lose what the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has legally  determined as their right to a family. Because I have witnessed what neglect, abuse, and trauma have done to impact my children, I can’t sit back and not do all I can to protect children who do not have the love, security and protection that a family offers.


Ashlie and Mr. H. with their two children.

What are you going to do next to help bring change for intercountry adoption?

Ashlie: I have been sharing links and ways to advocate for children on my social media pages, as well as within adoption forums and groups with other adoptive parents. I have sent emails to my State Rep and State Senators and have made phone calls on behalf of the orphans all over the world. In the meantime, I will continue to tell our story in hopes that it inspires another family to grow their family through adoption. As a family we will donate to families in-process when we can and we will continue to help other families in-process with questions and help in whatever way we can post-adoption.
Here is a photo of our family. Our adoption from Bulgaria took just shy of two years from start to home. We have been home since Oct. 30, 2015. Our children are healthy, silly, happy, doing well in school, making friends and are constantly keeping us on our toes. Life is good and I pray that many other families will be able to know the joy of adoption. It’s miraculous.

Lydia: I have shared with my family, friends and client families how anyone can make a difference in the life of an orphan – by speaking up and giving them a voice. While international adoptions have been on a significant decline, sadly the number of orphans continues to grow. We have a responsibility to children everywhere to give them opportunity to their right to a family.

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Follow-Up Matters!

If you called your Congressional offices, take a moment to follow-up with them via email to remind them to sign the letter to Secretary Kerry by Monday, November 22nd. Keep your follow-up quick and concise! Below is a sample email. If you don’t have the email address of the staffer who handles international adoption issues, no worries! Just the call the Congressional office again and ask for an email address.

Dear [name of the staffer you spoke with]:

I was just checking back to see if you’d had a chance to ask Senator/Representative XXX about signing the letter expressing concern about the Proposed Intercountry Adoption Regulations. We really hope to have his support on this issue. Let me know if I can provide any information that might help.
Please contact any of the following offices by Monday, November 22nd to sign on to this important letter.

House of Representatives
Office of Rep. Trent Franks (R)
Contact Chelsea Patterson: chelsea.patterson@mail.house.gov
Office of Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D) 202-225-5802
Contact: Alex Huang: alex.huang@mail.house.gov

Senate
Office of Senator Roy Blunt (R) 202-224-5721
Lauren McCormack: lauren_mccormack@blunt.senate.gov
Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) 202-224-3244
Lindsey Kerr: lindsey_kerr@klobuchar.senate.gov
Thanks for supporting adoption and let me know if you have any questions!

Help Us Ask for Change

Dear Families and Friends of Adoption:

The National Council For Adoption has a blog to help families and friends through adoption understand the ramifications of the new Proposed Intercountry Adoption Regulations.  If you find it helpful and you want to encourage others to join us in giving voice to orphaned children around the world, please share this on your own social media. 

With encouragement,
Robin

*A very special thanks to our friend Nicole Skellenger, of MLJ Adoptions, who significantly supported the drafting process on this blog post!

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What’s Happening?

Recently, the Department of State (DOS) proposed new regulations that may significantly impact international adoption. Since 2004, international adoption has declined dramatically (by almost 75%). If the regulations pass, they have the potential to drastically change and further decrease the number of international adoptions, cause some adoption agencies to close leaving families with less options, and potentially lengthen the processing time of adoptions that do take place.

While NCFA supports some of the themes these proposed regulations set out to address, like improved education and high ethical standards, the impact of the proposed rules is worrisome to adoptive families and adoption professionals. Yet, we have an opportunity to ask for change! These rules are proposed and are not yet binding. Everyone may provide comments between now and November 7th to provide feedback on any concerns you may see.

Learn more.

Adoption Alert: Ghana accedes to the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption – September 29, 2016

Finally!!!  Let’s hope for a smooth transition.  More and more children are waiting for families as the days go by.  

On September 16, 2016 Ghana deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption Convention (Hague Adoption Convention) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.  The Convention will enter into force for Ghana on January 1, 2016.  We will post additional information as soon as it is available.

Adoption Alert: Ghana accedes to the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption – September 29, 2016

Finally!!!  Let’s hope for a smooth transition.  More and more children are waiting for families as the days go by.   

On September 16, 2016 Ghana deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption Convention (Hague Adoption Convention) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.  The Convention will enter into force for Ghana on January 1, 2016.  We will post additional information as soon as it is available.

SAVE ADOPTIONS: Take Action Today!!! – please share this with every family member and friend possible.

Take Action Today!

Adoption advocacy is critical in helping uplift children and bring families together.

Recently, the Department of State issued a series of proposed changes to regulations for intercountry adoptions which will have profound negative impact on your ability to bring a child home and far worse, a child’s right to a permanent and loving family.

The public comment period ends on November 7. The proposal states that implementation would begin immediately.

Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. and members of the National Council for Adoption have carefully reviewed the proposed regulations and conducted an independent cost analysis to determine the real impact on adoptive parents. The proposed changes will further negatively impact waiting children-often medically fragile children-who need to be brought home sooner, not later. 

If you have already adopted a child, would your child have benefited from coming home sooner? Absolutely!

If you have not yet brought your child home, do you feel an additional extended wait is in the child’s best interest? Absolutely not!

The authors of the proposed regulations failed to consider the tremendous financial burden which will be passed on to families like yours.  Adoption is financially beyond the reach of many families today.  Additional costs will tragically result in fewer families being able to adopt children, leaving more waiting children without hope. The regulations will require a significant increase in expense for agencies to remain operational and compliant.

Hopscotch and other concerned agencies are formulating a reply to these changes during the public comment period, but your voice and support matter now too.

You can read the proposed rules in their entirety on the Federal Register.

More importantly, we thank you for taking action by Signing the Petition or Adding a Comment. Your voice matters. Collectively, we can stand up for every child’s right to grow up in a loving family. We can be each waiting child’s voice.

Please contact us with any questions.

Sign the Petition

(This link directs to www.saveadoptions.org, a collaborative website supported by adoption advocates which has been established to share a petition against the proposed rules. The goal is to obtain 100,000 signatures during the public comment period)

Add a Comment

(This link directs to the proposed rules on www.federalregister.govwhere there is a large Green button to Submit a Comment. These are the formal comments which will be reviewed by the Department of State)

Highlights of the Proposed Rules
The Department of State (DOS) proposes…

To require a second level of accreditation, called Country-Specific Authorization (CSA).
The DOS intends to determine which countries would be subjected to CSA and block agencies access to country programs.

To set the compensation for in-country representatives.
The service providers and partners we work with are attorneys, social workers, and other professionals who have their own businesses, nonprofits, etc. and have the right to fair compensation for their country, region, and amount of work contributed to adoption cases.

To require families adopting internationally to go through state foster care training.
While the MAPP system is preferred for foster care training, it does not address the many specific educational requirements for parents adopting a child internationally. Feedback from local government agencies suggests that adding an influx of adoptive parents into the already limited MAPPs training sessions would create backups and leave both domestic and international children in care for longer than necessary.

Costs of the Proposed Rules
Country-Specific Authorization (CSA) application, per country program = $1,500

Hopscotch operates 9 country programs as primary provider. Total cost, if each country were subjected to CSA = $13,500

Materials and training so home study preparers could offer assistance with MAPPs training for those families not able to take county-offered sessions = $4199

The adoption community believes these proposed changes will limit adoptions, leaving more children without a forever family.

Thank you for taking action today!

Urgent Call to Action for Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016

Download Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016 (PDF)

Dear Board Members and Concerned  Families:

If you believe The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption has failed to live up to its potential, leaving millions upon millions of children in need of a permanent family globally, this legislation will better serve the desperate needs of this population of children and change the catastrophic trajectory of intercountry adoption.  Below is a simple statement you can simply copy and paste into your senator’s contact email.  You can find your senator’s contact web link and phone information here.

“Dear Senator ______, 

This week, Senators Roy Blunt and Amy Klobuchar plan to introduce the Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016, which is a significantly re-tooled and simpler version of two former pieces of legislation: Families For Orphans Act and the Children in Families First Act. Senators Blunt and Klobuchar have circulated the legislation to their colleagues in the Senate and are seeking additional co-sponsors before they introduce it THIS week; hence the urgency of the matter. Passage of the Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016 has the potential to change the current concerning trajectory of intercountry adoption in the US. The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption has failed to live up to its potential. Millions upon millions of children are in need of a family globally, and this legislation will to better serve the desperate needs of this population of children. 

As an international adoption professional, and more importantly, a mother through international adoption, it is important to me that our Senators care about orphans and support them through legislation that will pave the way for permanency through adoption to be a viable option for American families. I am asking for your immediate and urgent help.  Senators Blunt and Klobuchar have circulated the legislation to their colleagues in the Senate and are seeking additional co-sponsors before they introduce it THIS week; hence the urgency of the matter.  Please call contact either Lauren in Blunt’s office or Lindsey in Klobuchar’s office and co-sponsor the Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016.

If you want more information on the bill contact Senators Blunt and Klobuchar’s office and hopefully we can count on you to let them know you will co-sponsor this invaluable bill that will change the lives of children and families all over this world. 

Without passage of this legislation, you can expect more of the same failed approach by the US Government on Intercountry Adoption.  Respectfully, ____________”

Here is what National Council for Adoption’s Executive Director has to say about this important legislation:
For many years, NCFA has worked to bring much needed legislative reform to intercountry adoption.  Our previous support of the Families For Orphans Act and the Children in Families First Act did not result in their passage.

This week, Senators Roy Blunt and Amy Klobuchar plan to introduce the Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016 (see attachment), a significantly re-tooled and simpler version of the two former pieces of legislation, yet something very affirmative to promoting intercountry adoption among other viable permanency solutions. 

The Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016 will accomplish many important objectives:
· It will re-enforce Congress’ and the American people’s commitment to intercountry adoption when this is the appropriate option for a child to have a family.

· It re-prioritizes and affirms the U.S. Department of State’s responsibility to be better advocates for this population of vulnerable children and opens doors of opportunity for them to be adopted by qualified American citizens.

· It provides the U.S. Department of State mission-specific instructions regarding their role in advancing the cause of intercountry adoption when no other domestic solution is available for a child to have a family, including establishing priorities that seem inherent in appropriate Hague Convention implementation.

· It creates better communications between several U.S. Government offices charged with carrying out various international child welfare activities and services, among them domestic and intercountry adoption options – and creates, in our opinion, more accountability and cooperation between the U.S. Department of State, other government offices, and the U.S. Congress.

Passage of the Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016 has the potential to change the current concerning trajectory of intercountry adoption in the US. The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption has failed to live up to its potential.  Millions upon millions of children are in need of a family globally, and this legislation will to better serve the desperate needs of this population of children.  Because the legislation is nearly all affirmative and mission-specific, it only requires a reallocation of existing resources without significant costs, while at the same time giving the U.S. Department of State a new mandate to better assist orphaned and abandoned children in need of a family and the American citizens who want to open their hearts and home to these children through adoption. The very same mandate we believed was given in 2008 when the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption was implemented in the U.S.

I am asking for your immediate and urgent help.  Senators Blunt and Klobuchar have circulated the legislation to their colleagues in the Senate and are seeking additional co-sponsors before they introduce it THIS week; hence the urgency of the matter.  Please call your Senator NOW (there is not yet a version in the House that is coming soon) and ask them to contact either Lauren in Blunt’s office or Lindsey in Klobuchar’s office and co-sponsor the Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016.

We have spent years working to this point.  If you support intercountry adoption and want to see key reforms to how the Department of State views its mission as Central Authority and a better implementation of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, then you really need to call your Senator and secure their support.  Without passage of this legislation, then you can expect more of the same approach by the US Government on Intercountry Adoption. 

Also, the following Senators were previous supporters of CHIFF.  It would go to reason that they’d be inclined to support our new bill.  If one of these Senators is your senator, then please remind them of their previous support CHIFF:

Roy Blunt (MO) – already supporting
Richard Burr (NC) –  already supporting
Robert Casey (PA)
Thad Cochran (MS)
Christopher Coons (DE)
Kristen Gillibrand (NY)
James Inhofe (OK)
Angus King (ME)
Mark Kirk (IL)
Amy Klobuchar – already supporting
Carl Levin (MI)
Edward Markey (MA)
Claire McCaskill – (MO)
Bernard Sanders (VT)
Charles Schumer (NY)
Jeanne Shaheen (NH)– already supporting
Debbie Stabenow (MI)
John Thune (SD)
Elizabeth Warren (MA)
Roger Wicker (MS) – already supporting

Chuck Johnson President and CEO
National Council For Adoption
225 N. Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
T: 703.299.6633 | F: 703.299.6004

Multiple Citizenship in Adoption: An Introduction by NCFA's legal fellow Kaylee Walsh

Those working in adoption often face questions about dual or multiple citizenship from prospective adoptive parents and adopted adolescents and adults, who want to know how the internationally adopted person will attain U.S. citizenship, if they will have two passports, or if being a citizen of their birth country will affect their U.S. citizenship. This article by NCFA legal fellow Kaylee Walsh provides an introduction to these and other issues regarding multi-citizenship in intercountry adoption. 

Click here to download the PDF of Adoption Advocate No. 94 or click here to view the web version.