DOS Alert: Faith International Adoption Accreditation Suspended

On January 6, 2015, the Council on Accreditation (COA) suspended the accreditation of Faith International Adoptions for a minimum of 15 days and until appropriate corrective action has taken place. COA is the Department of State’s designated accrediting entity for adoption service providers under the Hague Adoption Convention (Convention), the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 and the Intercountry Universal Accreditation Act (UAA).  The suspension is due to COA’s finding that Faith International Adoptions failed to maintain substantial compliance with the accreditation standards at 22 Code of Federal Regulations Part 96 Subpart F. For more information regarding this suspension please refer to information on substantiated complaints and adverse actions on the Council on Accreditation’s website. 

As a result of this suspension, Faith International Adoptions must cease to provide all adoption services in connection with intercountry adoption cases for the period of suspension and until corrective action has been taken.  Please note that this suspension affects Faith International Adoptions ability to provide adoption services in both Convention cases and non-Convention cases subject to the UAA. Faith International Adoptions has adoption programs in Ghana, China, India, and Japan, and has provided adoption services in a number of other countries in which it does not have an established program. Persons with an open case with Faith International Adoptions should contact the adoption service provider directly to find out how the suspension will affect their adoption services.  

The suspension will begin on January 6, 2015, and will last for at least 15 days. In order for the suspension to be lifted at the end of the 15 days, Faith International Adoptions must complete corrective action required by the accrediting entity. Updated information will be provided here on adoption.state.gov.

http://travel.state.gov/content/adoptionsabroad/en/about-us/newsroom/Faith-International-Adoption-Accreditation-Suspended.html

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Alert: All Adoption Cases with the Ghanaian Department of Social Welfare are Subject to Suspension

Ghana 

May 20, 2013

The Government of Ghana has temporarily suspended processing of all adoption cases, including intercountry adoptions, pending Ghana's review of its current adoption procedures. All adoption cases which have not received final approval by the Ghanaian Department of Social Welfare are subject to this suspension.

At this time, adoption cases which have completed processing with the Ghanaian Department of Social Welfare, and are either before a Ghanaian court or have a completed adoption order, are unaffected by the suspension.  Urgent or emergency cases subject to the suspension can be referred directly to the Ghanaian Director of Social Welfare in Accra for consideration.

The U.S. Embassy will continue accepting orphan petitions and approving qualified visa applications of those cases not subject to the suspension.

The Department of State will continue providing updated information on adoption.state.gov as it becomes available. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Office of Children's Issues at 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States. Email inquiries may be directed to AdoptionUSCA@state.gov.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=ghana_2

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Alert: Government of Ghana Suspends Intercountry Adoptions

Alert: Government of Ghana Suspends Intercountry Adoptions

May 13, 2013

The Government of Ghana has temporarily suspended processing of all adoption cases, including intercountry adoptions, pending Ghana’s review of its current adoption procedures. The U.S. Embassy in Accra is seeking further clarification of the scope and duration of this temporary suspension by the Government of Ghana and how this suspension may effect pending adoptions.  The U.S. Embassy will continue processing adoption cases already approved by Ghanaian authorities.

The Department of State will continue providing updated information on adoption.state.gov as it becomes available.  If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Office of Children’s Issues at 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States.  Email inquiries may be directed to AdoptionUSCA@state.gov.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=ghana_1


Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Notice: Re-instatement of Services to U.S. Adoption Service Provider

Ethiopia  

December 31, 2012

Notice: Re-instatement of Services to U.S. Adoption Service Provider

On November 9, the Department of State posted a notice regarding the Ethiopian Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs’ temporary suspension of services to Adoption Advocates International effective September 12, 2012. 

On December 27, the Ministry informed the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa that as of November 30, 2012, it lifted the temporary suspension on services provided to Adoption Advocates International.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ethiopia_18

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Notice: Ethiopia - Suspension of Services to U.S. Adoption Service Providers

Ethiopia

November 9, 2012

Notice: Suspension of Services to U.S. Adoption Service Providers

The Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs informed the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa that as of September 12, 2012, the Ministry temporarily suspended services to International Adoption Guides and Adoption Advocates International.  This suspension follows reports of abuse to Ethiopian adoptees placed with U.S. families by these agencies.  This suspension of services applies to new cases only.  While court hearings may be assigned, the suspension of services may prevent a final decision from the Federal First Instance Court, or a final decree from the Ministry, from being issued.  The Ministry indicated that this action is temporary, and that a final determination will only be made once the Ministry has sufficient opportunity to investigate the abuse cases and to review the actions taken by the agencies to address the situation.
The Department of State will post further information regarding this matter as it becomes available on adoption.state.gov.
http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ethiopia_15

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Alert - Haiti: Temporary Suspension of New Adoption Cases

Haiti

May 4, 2012 

Alert: Temporary Suspension of New Adoption Cases

Haiti's adoption authority, l'Institut du Bien Être Social et de Recherches (IBESR), informed U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince that it will suspend processing of new adoption cases effective May 7, 2012. IBESR indicated that the suspension will enable it to expedite processing on its backlog of pending cases and begin internal restructuring to bring it closer to international standards. The U.S. Embassy has been assured the suspension is temporary and that IBESR will continue to process all cases that are filed before May 7.
If you have questions about the status of your adoption case, please work closely with your adoption agency or facilitator. Please refer to our website at adoption.state.gov for updates on the temporary suspension.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=haiti_2

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Alert: Government of Laos Announces Suspension of Intercountry Adoption

Laos

March 30, 2012
Alert: Government of Laos Announces Suspension of Intercountry Adoption

The Office of the Government of Laos announced on February 20, 2012, that the authorization to allow foreigners to adopt Lao children is suspended until appropriate regulations and procedures are established on intercountry adoption. Updated information will be provided as it becomes available on adoption.state.gov.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=laos_1

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Notice: Suspension of all Intercountry Adoptions in Bhutan

Bhutan

March 23, 2012
Alert: Notice on Suspension of all Intercountry Adoptions in Bhutan

Effective January 1, 2012, the Government of Bhutan temporarily suspended all intercountry adoptions pending approval of a new adoption law by the King. The adoption bill was drafted to clarify Bhutan’s adoption procedures. The National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC), the Bhutanese government agency responsible for overseeing intercountry adoptions, is unable to estimate how long it will take for the adoption bill to be approved, but indicated it is not aware of any pending cases involving the adoption of a Bhutanese child by U.S. citizens. Prospective adoptive parents who believe the suspension affects their adoption of a child from Bhutan may contact the NCWC by email at admin@ncwc.org.bt to inquire about the status of their case. The NCWC indicated it will review each case on an individual basis.

Prospective adoptive parents may also visit NCWC’s website for additional information about adoptions in Bhutan. Please also continue to monitor adoption.state.gov for updated information.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=bhutan_1

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

UPDATE on Temporary Suspension of Huminska's Anioly

On Wednesday, March 7, 2012, we reported that Huminska's Anioly had their accreditation suspended for 30 days (see: http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2012/03/huminskas-anioly-faces-30-day.html)

Today we received the following report from COA concerning the basis for the suspension:
The complaint on which this suspension is based was filed in November 2010.

Nature of the Substantiated Violations:

96.35(a) & 96.44(a) - The agency provided a referral to a family prior to the family’s completion of the homestudy and receipt of approval of its 1800 A application from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, failing to take into consideration the best interests and safety of the child.

96.42(c) - Confidential information about a prospective adoptive parent’s children was released without the prospective adoptive parent’s written authorization.

96.40(a) - The written fee information provided did not provide a clear breakdown of fees regarding expected total fees and estimated expenses and an explanation of the conditions under which fees or expenses may be charged, waived, reduced, or refunded and of when and how the fees and expenses must be paid.

96.40(b)(1-7) & 96.40(c)(1-2) - The written fee information provided did not conform to the categories and details defined in the standards.

96.40(g) - The agency charged additional foreseeable fees beyond what was disclosed in the adoption contract.

96.35(a) - The agency requested and received payment from a prospective adoptive family for an activity unrelated to their adoption which it planned to deduct from their legitimate adoption fees. I'm wondering if this is too specific.

96.49(a) & 96.49(b) - The agency failed to provide a prospective adoptive family their referred children’s medical records.

96.49(d)(2-4) - The information contained in the agency’s records did not demonstrate that the agency employed reasonable efforts on behalf of the family to obtain medical information and information that was provided did not fully address the standards.

96.49(f)(1)(2) - The information contained in the agency’s records did not demonstrate that the agency

employed reasonable efforts on behalf of the family to obtain social information and information that was provided did not fully address the standards.

96.49(g) - The agency failed to document in the record the efforts made to obtain medical and social information and why it was not obtainable.

96.49(k) - A prospective adoptive family was not given two weeks to consider the needs of the children that were referred to them and their ability to meet those needs.

Status of the Adverse Action: Huminska’s Anioly’s Hague Approval is suspended from March 6, 2012 through April 5, 2012 or until such later date when corrective action is complete.

A copy of this report should be available today at COA's website:
http://www.coanet.org/front3/page.cfm?sect=54&cont=4439

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Notice India: Notice: CARA Lifts Temporary Suspension of Acceptance of New Dossiers

India

March 7, 2012
Notice: CARA Lifts Temporary Suspension of Acceptance of New Dossiers

This is an update to our notice dated October 5, 2011 announcing a temporary suspension on the acceptance of new intercountry adoption cases in India.

CARA has informed the U.S. Central Authority that effective January 20, 2012, it will begin accepting new adoption applications under its new guidelines.

Under the new guidelines dossiers must be forwarded to CARA. CARA will no longer accept any dossier through a RIPA.

If you have any questions about the details of the guidelines or suspension, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at 1-888-407-4747 or e-mail us at adoptionUSCA@state.gov.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=india_4

***Please note: the DOS Notice states that CARA will begin accepting applications on January 20, 2012 and the Notice is dated March 7, 2012, either DOS has a typo in the date or the tense. PEAR has submitted a request for clarification.

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Alert: Senegal Suspension of New Applications to Adopt

Senegal

March 05, 2012
Alert: Suspension of New Applications to Adopt

The Government of Senegal has announced that it is temporarily suspending all new intercountry adoptions while it focuses on implementing the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Convention). The Convention entered into force for Senegal on December 1, 2011.

U.S. Embassy Dakar officials met with Senegalese adoption officials on February 9, 2012, to clarify which cases would be included in pipeline processing. The Government of Senegal has stated that transition cases where a Form I-600A or Form I-600 was filed with the U.S. government prior to December 1, 2011, will be allowed to finish under the previous “orphan” process. However, the Government of Senegal will not accept dossiers for new adoption cases until Senegal finishes implementing the Convention.

The U.S. Embassy in Dakar has not been provided with an expected date by which the Convention will be fully implemented. Please continue to monitor adoption.state.gov for updated information.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=senegal_1

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Notice: India Update on CARA's Temporary Suspension of Acceptance of New Dossiers

October 5, 2011

Notice: Update on CARA's Temporary Suspension of Acceptance of New Dossiers

This is an update to our notice dated July 22, 2011 announcing a temporary suspension on the acceptance of new intercountry adoption cases in India. CARA informed us that they will not accept new adoption applications until December 31, 2011.

CARA is giving priority to processing applications started before the release of the new guidelines before accepting new applications. We will update the notice promptly once CARA notifies us when they are ready to receive new applications.

CARA's latest announcement reiterated that all dossiers must be forwarded to CARA under the new guidelines. CARA will no longer accept any dossier through a RIPA.

If you have any questions about the details of the guidelines or suspension, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at 1-888-407-4747 or e-mail us at adoptionUSCA@state.gov.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=india_3

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Notice: CARA Announces Release of New Guidelines and Temporary Suspension of Acceptance of New Dossiers

India
July 22, 2011

Notice: CARA Announces Release of New Guidelines and Temporary Suspension of Acceptance of New Dossiers

CARA recently released new guidelines for intercountry adoptions. Please visit CARA’s website at http://www.adoptionindia.nic.in/ for further information.

CARA also recently announced a temporary freeze on the acceptance of new adoption dossiers as it attempts to clear a backlog of cases pending from before implementation of new guidelines governing intercountry adoptions in India. CARA foresees lifting the suspension by approximately the end of September 2011 and will advise when they are ready to accept new dossiers. We will update the notice promptly. Applications that are already in process prior to the effective date of the new guidelines will proceed as normal.

Please note that the new guidelines direct that after September 30, 2011, all dossiers must be forwarded to CARA. CARA will no longer accept any dossier through a RIPA.

If you have any questions about the details of the guidelines or suspension, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at 1-888-407-4747 or e-mail us at adoptionUSCA@state.gov.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=india_2

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Alert: Ukraine Family Code Amendments and temporary suspension on adoptions to take effect on July 11, 2011

June 15, 2011
Alert: Ukrainian Family Code Amendments and temporary suspension on adoptions to take effect on July 11, 2011

The Ukrainian State Department on Adoptions (SDA) informed the US Embassy this morning that beginning July 11 SDA will no longer have the authority to process adoption cases. This will likely result in a temporary suspension of adoptions from Ukraine. The Ministry of Social Policy will take over as the new adoption authority in Ukraine, but does not yet have Cabinet approval to create a staff and begin processing cases. The Ministry does not yet know when they will be able to resume adoption processing. The amendments to the Ukrainian Family Code mentioned in the previous adoption alert will also go into effect on July 11.

We will ask the Ukrainian government to resume adoptions as quickly as possible. We will also continue to encourage the Ministry of Social Policy to protect adoptions where U.S. prospective adoptive parents have already been approved by the SDA to adopt a particular child.

According to SDA, there are now 139 U.S. families registered with the SDA, some of them already in-country. We will be following new developments closely to understand how it will affect the families currently in process and will be posting relevant updates. In that respect. we recommend that all American families that are currently in Ukraine or have appointments with SDA during the next few weeks send their contact information to the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine’s Adoption Unit at: kyivadoptions@state.gov. Families should contact their local adoption service provider for further updates and details.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=alerts&alert_notice_file=ukraine_2

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/