A message from the U.S. Department of State

The U.S. Department of State, Office of Children's Issues, is
pleased to announce that the President signed the U.S. instrument of
ratification of 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 join with our deposit the instrument of ratification on
December 12, 2007! The Department will announce the official U.S.
effective date—projected to be April 1, 2008—in the Federal
Register. The Hague Adoption Convention protects children and their
families against the risks of unregulated adoptions abroad and
ensures that intercountry adoptions are made in the best interests
of children. The Convention also serves to prevent the abduction of,
sale of, or traffic in children.

Once the treaty is in force, the new processing requirements for
Hague adoption cases will take effect for adoptions between the
United States and more than 70 Convention members. The new process
protects the rights of children, birth parents, and adoptive parents
while promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical practices
among adoption service providers.

For more information on intercountry adoptions and the Hague
Adoption Convention, please visit the Intercountry Adoption page of
the Department of State website:

www.travel.state. gov/family/ adoption/ adoption_ 485.html