An international agreement pertaining to adoption which is known as The Hague Convention will go into effect in the U.S. next year. This will strengthen the laws over international adoptions.
Treaty aims to protect children and families
International adoptions could get more complicated.
The Hague Convention requires training classes for potential parents, insurance and truthfullnes from the adoption agencies and some sort of proof from the birth parents that the child really is adoptable.
“The Hague Convention is the gold standard for adoption,” said Marshall Williams, vice president of international adoptions and family services at Fort Worth’s Gladney Center for Adoption. “It outlaws child buying and sets certain standards for adoption agencies and certain education standards families must complete.
Over 100,000 adoptions happen in America Each year. One fourth of that are international adoptions which can cost up to 30,000$(U.S. Dollars) and take up to 12 months.
“There are many more parents looking to adopt than babies to be adopted in the United States. It’s the other way around in other countries.” Looking at the adoptions that took place in 2005, children from China, Russia, Guatemala and South Korea are the most likely children to be adopted by American parents.
So far, 69 countries, including the U.S., have signed on to The Hague Convention, which means adoption requirements still vary by country.
