October 15, 2013: The Kenyan Adoption Committee has requested that the United States government remind adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents of Kenya’s strict prohibition against pre-selection of children by prospective adoptive parents. The Kenyan National Adoption Committee, Kenya’s Central Authority under the Hague Adoption Convention, is likely to reject dossiers and/or referrals for families that have pre-selected a …
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DOS Alert: Guidance on Processing of Emergency Adoption Cases during Ghana’s Suspension
October 15, 2013: On April 30, 2013, the Government of Ghana suspended processing of all adoption cases, including intercountry adoptions, pending Ghana’s review of its current adoption procedures. This alert provides additional information on how the Ghanaian Department of Social Welfare (DSW) is implementing the suspension and how the suspension impacts processing of related Forms I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as …
DoS Notice: Children Adopted From Vietnam Before July 1, 2009 Must Register with the Government of Vietnam to Retain Vietnamese Citizenship.
The 2008 citizenship law of Vietnam requires that children adopted from Vietnam before July 1, 2009 must register with overseas Vietnamese diplomatic missions prior to July 1, 2014 to retain their Vietnamese citizenship (Art. 13.2 citizenship law of Vietnam). The law does not require children adopted from Vietnam after July 1, 2009 to register because they automatically retain their Vietnamese …
PEAR STATEMENT ON THE PROPOSED “CHILDREN IN FAMILIES FIRST ACT”
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 …
Alert: Democratic Republic of the Congo Immigration Authorities Suspend Issuance of Exit Permits to Adoptees
This alert updates the Department of State’s May 2 adoption alert regarding the suspension of issuance of exit permits to adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents. On September 27, the Congolese Ministry of Interior and Security, General Direction of Migration (Direction Generale d’Immigration, DGM) informed the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa that effective September 25, 2013, the …
DoS Alert: Vietnam’s Department of Adoptions Issues Further Guidance for U.S. Convention-Accredited Adoption Service Providers
The Department of Adoptions in the Ministry of Justice of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (MOJ/DA) has issued the following guidance. This guidance is related to the MOJ/DA’s July announcement, published on this website, to accept applications for authorization from U.S. Convention-accredited adoption service providers (ASPs).Begin text of guidance: In the spirit of cooperation under the Hague Adoption Convention, the …
DoS Notice on Mexico: Updated information on U.S.-based Hague Accredited Adoption Service Providers authorized by Mexican Central Authority.
The Mexican Central Authority recently provided the U.S. Central Authority with official notification that, in August 2013, it granted authorization to provide adoption services in Mexico to five additional U.S.-based Convention accredited adoption service providers. This action brings the total number of U.S. adoption service providers authorized in Mexico to eleven: Carolina Adoption Services, Inc International Child Foundation Across the …
DoS Notice: Updated information from the Mexican Central Authority regarding adoptions completed without first fulfilling all intercountry adoption processing steps
The Mexican Central Authority (MCA) recently informed the Office of Children’s Issues that it is unable to issue the required Convention Article 23 certification for any out-of-order adoptions, and that prospective adoptive parents will need to redo such adoptions in accordance with Mexican law. The “How to Adopt” section of our Mexico adoption flyer, which will be updated soon, summarizes …
DoS Alert on Uzbekistan: Decree amending the Civil Procedural Code concerning Courts appointed as adoption authorities to review domestic and intercountry adoptions
July 22, 2013 In May 2013, the Government of Uzbekistan issued a decree amending the Civil Procedural Code concerning Courts appointed as adoption authorities to review domestic and intercountry adoptions. The changes will require the judicial system of Uzbekistan to implement certain procedural steps for reviewing adoption cases. Because the details of these changes will not be known until the …
DoS Notice: Vietnam’s Department Of Adoptions is Accepting Applications From U.S. Hague-Accredited Adoption Service Providers Wishing To Facilitate Adoptions In Vietnam Under A Limited Intercountry Adoption Program
July 2013 Department of Adoptions within the Ministry of Justice of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is now accepting applications from U.S. Hague-accredited adoption service providers (ASPs) for authorization to operate a limited intercountry adoption program for children with special needs as defined by Vietnamese law, children older than five, and children in biological sibling groups of two or more …