Intercountry Adoption Accreditation Services
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In 2022, the Department of State designated Center for Excellence in Adoption Services to perform accreditation and approval functions for agencies and persons in accordance with the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, the Intercountry Adoption Act, and other related laws and regulations.
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The Convention is a multilateral treaty that provides a framework of safeguards for protecting children and families involved in intercountry adoptions with member countries. In 2000, the US enacted the implementing legislation, the Intercountry Adoption Act, and in 2014, through the Universal Accreditation Act, extended the safeguards provided by accreditation to intercountry adoptions that are not subject to the Convention.
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Intercountry Adoption Accreditation is a process of evaluating and certifying that an adoption service provider's practices substantially comply with the federal standards of practice.
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