NYHOMESTUDY BLOG

A message from the U.S. Department of State

The U.S. Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues, is pleased
to announce that the President signed the Hague Adoption Convention on
November 16. The legal requirements for ratification of the Hague
Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of
Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) have been completed,
and we plan to deposit the instrument of ratification on December 12,
2007! The Department will announce the official U.S. effective
date-projected to be April 1, 2008-in the Federal Register. The Hague
Adoption Convention protects children and their families against the
risks of unregulated adoptions abroad and ensures that intercountry
adoptions are made in the best interests of children. The Convention
also serves to prevent the abduction of, sale of, or traffic in
children.

Once the treaty is in force, the new processing requirements for Hague
adoption cases will take effect for adoptions between the United
States and more than 70 Convention members. The new process protects
the rights of children, birth parents, and adoptive parents while
promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical practices among
adoption service providers.

For more information on intercountry adoptions and the Hague Adoption
Convention, please visit the Intercountry Adoption page of the
Department of State website:
www.travel.state.gov/family/adoption/adoption_485.html

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