DOS Adoption Notice: Vietnam Update

Vietnam December 2012

Notice: Special Advisor Jacobs Visits Vietnam 

Special Advisor for Children’s Issues Ambassador Susan Jacobs recently met with host government officials in Vietnam to discuss Vietnam’s current progress on adoption reform to meet obligations under the Hague Convention and improve child welfare.  Vietnam became a party to the Hague Adoption Convention (the Convention) February 1, 2012, and is working on fully implementing a new adoption law, related decrees, and a public information strategy.  On September 7, 2012 the Prime Minister of Vietnam approved the three-year National Project designed to implement the Convention.  The United States continues to support Vietnam’s efforts to enhance its child welfare system and intercountry adoption process. 

Based on the information gathered from the Government of Vietnam and other adoption stakeholders, the Department is currently assessing whether consular officers will be able to certify that individual adoptions will comply with the Convention, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, and U.S. implementing regulations.

We continue to caution adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents that important steps must still take place to ensure that adoptions between Vietnam and the United States will comply with the Convention, U.S. law, and implementing regulations before intercountry adoptions between the United States and Vietnam may resume.  Adoption service providers should not initiate, nor claim to initiate, adoption programs in Vietnam until they receive notification from the Department of State that it will resume processing Convention adoption visa applications in Vietnam.
Updated information will be provided on adoption.state.gov as it becomes available.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=vietnam_5 

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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 11, 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 International Adoption Guides effective September 12, 2012. 
On December 4, 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 International Adoption Guides.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ethiopia_16

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Status of EthioStork International Social Service Consultants

Ethiopia  

December 11, 2012

Notice: Status of EthioStork International Social Service Consultants

The Ethiopian Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs requested the Department of State provide clarification to U.S. families on the licensing of the organization, EthioStork International Social Service Consultants.  The Ministry informed the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa that the organization EthioStork is not licensed to facilitate intercountry adoption by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Charities and Societies Agency.  The organization is licensed to provide consultancy services by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and social affairs counseling services by the Addis Ababa City Administration Trade and Industrial Development Bureau.
For additional information on agencies licensed in Ethiopia to provide services related to intercountry adoption, please refer to the List of Adoption Agencies Registered in Ethiopia on the website of Embassy of Ethiopia in Washington, D.C.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=ethiopia_17

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

DOS Adoption Notice: Update on Intercountry Adoptions in Guatemala

Guatemala December 11, 2012

Notice: Update on Intercountry Adoptions in Guatemala

 

The following is an update on issues and developments in Guatemalan adoptions.  We also take this opportunity to remind adopting parents and others that the U.S. government is not a party to these pending adoption cases and cannot represent the interests of parties in private legal matters.  Thus, we may not be informed of or be entitled to receive information pertaining to proceedings in specific cases.

Joint USCIS-State Delegation to Guatemala October 23-25

From October 23-25, a joint USCIS-Department of State delegation traveled to Guatemala to meet with government officials from the Ministerio Publico (MP), the Procuraduría General de la Nación (PGN), the Guatemalan National Council on Adoption (CNA),and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  In case-by-case discussions of the “Universal List” of all known pending grandfathered adoptions of Guatemalan children by U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents, the visiting delegation encouraged Guatemalan officials to quicken resolution of all these cases in the best interests of the children, and to complete those cases while the PGN still has additional investigators funded through the end of 2012.      
During these discussions, Guatemalan authorities reiterated that some of the notario cases may not be able to proceed under the notario process when the investigation reveals that the case does not fall within the parameters of the relevant law.  However, if a judge makes a finding of adoptability for the child, such a case may be considered eligible under the CNA’s acuerdo process.  USCIS and the Department of State continue to work closely with Guatemalan authorities to bring pending cases to resolution. 

CNA Acuerdo Update

Since January 2012, the CNA has referred17 cases to the U.S. Embassy for final adoption processing as acuerdo cases, and has identified others that it considered eligible to move through the acuerdo process. 
Note:  Only the CNA can determine whether cases are eligible under the CNA Acuerdo.  The Office of Children’s Issues, USCIS, and the U.S. Embassy, if informed in a specific case, can only comment on whether or not the CNA has initiated the case, and if so, what documents the CNA requires.  The Office of Children’s Issues can also provide general information on the CNA process.

Other News

The PGN and CNA have informed the U.S. Embassy of approximately 85 children who are no longer available for adoption because the child was either reunited with the biological family or placed in domestic adoption.  Upon receiving written confirmation of this from the Guatemalan government, USCIS informed the U.S. families associated with those cases.

Visas statistics

From May 1, 2012, until today, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala has issued five IR-3 adoption visas.  These visa statistics represent only the cases which have completed all processing steps with Guatemalan authorities, USCIS Guatemala, and the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy.  

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=guatemala_10

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

DOS Announces Colorado Department of Human Services to end role as accrediting entity

Colorado Department of Human Services to end role as accrediting entity

December 10, 2012
 
The U.S. Department of State and the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) signed a final one year extension of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that designates CDHS as an accrediting entity for Hague adoption service providers. The MOA will expire on November 29, 2013, or the date when the Council on Accreditation (COA) assumes oversight of all adoption service providers currently accredited by CDHS, (whichever date is earlier). CDHS will discontinue its role as an accrediting entity after the MOA expires. The U.S. Department of State, CDHS and COA are working closely to implement a smooth transition plan for the eight CDHS accredited adoption service providers, and will convey detailed information directly to the affected adoption service providers.

http://adoption.state.gov/about_us/colorado_human_services_end_accreditation.php

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