State Department Message

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