Last week, Sue Hollar, Associate Director and Tina Ji, International Programs Director, participated in a two-day adoption symposium hosted by the US Department of State. The symposium, titled “A Collaborative Future for Adoption,” included representatives from The Council on Accreditation, US-Citizen Immigration Services (US-CIS), and adoption agencies from around the country and provided the opportunity to discuss ways that the aforementioned groups can streamline processes and collaborate on issues designed to improve permanency options for children.
In 2008, the US implemented The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). The Hague Convention is an international agreement that established safeguards to ensure that intercountry adoptions take place in the best interests of children. Some argue that the implementation of the Convention has resulted in delays in permanency for children and denial of permanency for others while others would argue that the rights of birth parents have been better protected and respected as a result of the convention.
In 2013, Elizabeth Bartholet, Morris Wasserstein Professor of Law at Harvard Law School suggested that there have been pros and cons, but still great potential for the Convention to have a positive impact. You can read more about her Hague Convention views here.
The Barker Adoption Foundation is committed to the principles inherent in the Convention, to continued collaboration with US State Department and US-CIS, and to being a part of developing proactive strategies that benefit children and increase their options for permanency around the globe.