Adoption News

Department of State Announcement: Accrediting Entities Announce Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Providers

On February 12, 2008, Guatemala’s National Council for Adoptions (CNA) announced that the registration period has ended for registering adoption cases “entered” in Guatemala before December 31, 2007. They informed the U.S. Department of State that during the registration period nearly 2,900 cases were registered.

The adoption tax credit is set to expire in 2010, but there is much legislative support for making the credit permanent.
Adoption related fees such as court costs, attorney fees, travel expenses, country fees, and other fees that are directly related to the adoption are all qualifying expenses.

Rainbow Kids, a terrific online adoption magazine has sent out a plea for support asking that readers participate in a giving opportuntity that will save the lives of infants with heart disease. The organization, Love Without Boundaries, is in a challenge to recieve $10 donations from unique donors.

The African Cradle Inc. will be hosting thier annual Ethiopian Heritage Camp from July 24-July 27 in Scotts Valley, California. The Heritage Camp Camp will be organized similar to past years with family games, Ethiopian Culture workshops, cooking lessons, keynote speakers who will be focusing on Ethiopian history, movies, swimming and a banquet with Ethiopian food and dance.

The President of Guatemala, President Oscar Berger, has announced that as of January 1, 2008 intercountry adoptions will be suspended. On this date the Hague Convention will go into force in Guatemala and all adoption cases will be required to meet Hague standards. This will include all cases in process and those filed prior to this date.
Guatemala will not be processing any adoptions cases for non-Hague countries, which includes the United States as the Hague does not go into force in the U.S. until April 1, 2008.

In addition, all adoption cases that are pending will be suspended. A suspension, according to the Joint Counsel on International Children’s Services, would leave over 5000 children in limbo going to niether a family or a reliable system of care in Guatemala.

On the morning of December 12, 2007 Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Maura Harty deposited the United States’ instrument of ratification of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption at a ceremony in The Hague. This means that the United States is now a full member of the Hague Adoption Convention, which will enter into force for the United States on April 1, 2008.

Adoption Advocates International announces the release of Faces of Layla: A Journey Through Ethiopian Adoption – A full color ‘coffee table’ photo essay with a forward by award-winning author Melissa Fay Greene, photography by Emma Dodge Hanson and text by children’s book author Jennifer Armstrong. This compelling photographic narrative shows the story of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and other diseases of poverty, waiting for a family at Layla House, a Children’s Home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The U.S. Department of State has announced this message concerning the Hague Convention on International Adoption:

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 China Center of Adoption Affairs has implemented an internet based communication and online operational system. This system, which is in the trial phase, is intened to make China’s inter-country adoption work more efficient and convenient. The online program functions are a special needs children’s online entrustment, email and mail communication, and feedback for processing information. As these functions are tested and demonstrate to be effective the Center will add to the online system.