Hague Convention Accreditation
The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is a set of internationally agreed-upon ethical standards for countries involved in international adoption. These standards are designed to protect children, birth parents, and adoptive parents and to prevent child trafficking and other abuses. Any adoption that involves two Hague Convention countries must adhere to the rigorous Hague Convention standards. This also means that any adoption agency or person wishing to facilitate an adoption through two countries that have signed the Hague Convention Treaty must be accredited under Hague Convention standards. This treaty goes into effect in the United States on April 1, 2008.
The State Department has approved two entities to accredit U.S. agencies and individuals to facilitate adoptions from Hague countries: The Council on Accreditation and the Colorado Department of Human Services. Partners for Adoption was officially approved to act as a Hague Accredited Adoption service provider by the Council on Accreditation on February 29, 2008.
Whether or not you are planning on adopting from a country that is party to the Hague Convention, it is still highly recommended that you use a Hague accredited agency, such as Partners for Adoption, in order to ensure that your adoption is completed ethically and with the best interests of the children involved at heart.
For a list of countries that have ratified the Hague Convention click here: Hague Convention Countries
In order to maintain full compliance with Hague Convention Accreditation and Approval standard 96.39 (a), Partners for Adoption has made the following documents available for your review. Please feel free to call us and request details or clarity regarding any of the documents below:
Partners for Adoption’s SAMPLE Homestudy and Post Placement Retainer Agreement - This document is an adoption services contract/Homestudy and Post Placement Agreement substantially like the one that you will be expected to sign if you choose to complete your homestudy with Partners for Adoption.
Partners for Adoption’s SAMPLE Placement Services Retainer Agreement - This document is an adoption services contract/Placement Agreement substantially like the one that you will be expected to sign if you choose to complete your placement with Partners for Adoption.
Partners for Adoption’s Client Grievance Procedure
In order to maintain full compliance with Hague Convention Accreditation and Approval standard 96.39 (b), Partners for Adoption will freely disclose the following information to all prospective adoptive clients, in writing, upon request:
- The number of parents who apply to adopt through Partners for Adoption’s program annually.
- The number of adoptive placements Partners for Adoption has made.
- The number and percentage of those placements that have disrupted or dissolved.
- The number of children eligible for adoption and awaiting referral from any Hague compliant country from which Partners for Adoption does child placement.