Hague Intercountry Adoption Regulations Released Today
The U.S. Department of State today issued long-awaited proposed regulations to implement legislation which was signed into law nearly three years ago to implement a global treaty that streamlines the international adoption process affecting tens of thousands of children adopted by U.S. citizens each year.
The 2000 law, known as the Intercountry Adoption Act, put in place a structure that should provide greater safety, accountability and transparency for adoptive families who seek to adopt children from other nations.
The proposed regulations are designed to implement those goals by ensuring that adoption service providers are properly accredited to provide intercountry adoption services and meet appropriate quality control standards; that families receive timely and meaningful disclosures about fees, procedures, and their children’s medical well-being; and that those involved in the adoption process have official recourse when problems arise.
The comment period has been extended 30 days!
Comments must reach the Department of State on or before December 15, 2003. Commenters may send hard copy submissions or comments in electronic format. Commenters sending only hard copies must send an original and two copies referencing docket number State/AR-01/96 to:
U.S. Department of State
CA/OCS/PRI
Adoption Regulations Docket
Room SA-29
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Hard copy comments may also be sent by overnight courier services to:
U.S. Department of State
CA/OCS/PRI
Adoption Regulations Docket
Room 2201
C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Do not personally hand deliver comments to the Department of State.
Comments referencing the docket number State/AR-01/96 may be submitted electronically to adoptionregs@state.gov. Two hard copies of the comments submitted electronically must be mailed under separate cover as well. The electronic comments or the hard copy comments must be received by the date noted above in the date section of this proposed rule. Comments must be made in the text of the message or submitted as a Word file avoiding the use of any form of encryption or use of special characters. If you submit comments by hard copy rather than electronically, include a disk with the submission if possible. Hard copy submissions without an accompanying disk file, however, will be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Edward Betancourt or Anna Mary Coburn at 202-647-2826 or Jessica Rosenbaum at 202-312-9717. Hearing- or speech-impaired persons may use the Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD) by contacting the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.