Mexico adoption is subject to Hague Convention procedures for both non-relative and relative adoption.  We have an expertise at helping families prepare home studies and dossiers, and we have an excellent attorney in Sonora who oversees the legal process in Mexico.  More info?  Visit www.childfound.org and you will find a program guide and fee information.

China now requires that home studies be prepared by Hague/COA accredited agencies.  International Child Foundation is Hague acredited and can provide home studies for China for all agencies.

New families must complete 12 (instead of 10) hours of pre-adoption education.

 Post placement requirements have increased from two required reports by a social worker to six required reports (at one month, six months and twelve months after adoption, and then at the second, third and fifth year after adoption). For adoptees who are close to fourteen years old at adoption, the reports should be prepared according to the above requirements until the child turns eighteen.  

The last major change  is that female single applicants are allowed to adopt special focus children listed on the Special Needs System of CCAA.

TO:  Prospective Adoptive Parents, Adoption Service Providers, and Adoption Stakeholders

FROM:  U.S. Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues

SUBJECT:  Teleconference on Guatemala Adoptions

                     Thursday March 31, 2011 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am (EDT)

The U.S. Department of State Office of Children’s Issues Adoptions Division would like to invite prospective adoptive parents, adoption service providers, and adoption stakeholders with an interest in Guatemala adoptions to a teleconference with the Office of Children’s issues and the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to discuss the status of intercountry adoption processing in Guatemala.   The focus of the call will be primarily to provide an updated outlook for resolution of the remaining “grandfathered” adoption cases involving U.S. citizens.  This update will include information from a recent trip to Guatemala during which USCIS and the Office of Children’s Issues met with Guatemalan government officials for updates on the status of “grandfathered” adoption cases still pending in Guatemala.

To join the call – If you are calling from within the United States, please dial:  1-888-363-4749.  If you are calling from outside the United States, please dial: 1-215-446-3662.  The passcode for all callers is: 6276702.

U.S. Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues, Adoption Division hosted a conference call for Adoption Service Providers on March 11, 2011 at 10:45 am to discuss recent announcements made by the Ethiopian Ministry of Women’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs (MOWCYA). Below is a summary of information presented on the call. 

As was stated in the March 9, 2011 Adoption Alert, the Department of State received information on the announcement made by the MOWCYA regarding the planned reduction in workload processing.

MOWCYA planned to implement a reduction of case processing from approximately 50 cases reviewed per day to no more than 5 cases reviewed per day.

MOWCYA has stated that this reduction is to improve screening of adoption cases while also devoting existing resources to other priorities on vulnerable children.

MOWCYA reviews each adoption case at two points in the process: after the match with prospective adoptive parents and after the final court decree to approve issuance of new birth certificate and passport for child.

MOWCYA has not announced any implementation guidelines on how reduction in processing will affect each stage of the process. 

• If only 5 cases are reviewed per day, delays could be significant. Calculations based on rough estimates of cases in process (around 1000) indicate delays of one year or more. 
• Department of State defines ‘cases in process’ as those whose dossier has been accepted up to those cases that have received the final letter approving issuance of passport and birth certificate.  
• We are working on getting more details on implementation guidelines.

Since announcement, the Department of State has heard many rumors, but none have been substantiated.  The U.S. Embassy can confirm that the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs has shuffled the portfolios of key adoption personnel.  The Embassy has not been able to confirm how this reorganization may affect the processing of cases through the ministry.

Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa is discussing the possibility of developing a consolidated assistance proposal to MOWCYA to find out what the resource needs are and find what assistance can be given to allow MOWCYA to accomplish their goals.

We have many years’ experience with all kinds of adoption — international or domestic — open or closed or semi open — infants and older children.  Let us know how we can help!  24/7 cell 520 906-2892.