Recent changes in the law with regard to international adoptions limit an attorneys’ ability to assist clients in completing their international adoption independently. Prospective adoptive parents must now work with a primary provider who provides adoption services.
The Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 (UAA) entered into force on July 14, 2014. Its purpose is to extend the same safeguards that are in place for Hague Convention adoptions to non-Convention countries. To that end, the UAA requires two things:
- That all Hague accredited or approved Adoption Service Providers (ASPs) provide services in the same manner for non-Convention countries as they would for Convention countries, and
- That all U.S. parents looking to adopt internationally must use a Hague accredited or approved ASP, to ensure that the same ethical standards are applied to all international adoption cases
This means that in every international adoption following the implementation of the UAA, adoptive parents are required to designate a primary provider, in order for USCIS to grant the adoptive child an orphan or Convention adoptee visa to travel to the United States. This requirement also applies to relative adoption. A primary provider is a Hague accredited or approved ASP responsible for ensuring that the adoption is Hague-compliant, and which may be responsible for the actions of any attorney or facilitator working on behalf of the adoptive parents.
MLJ Adoptions, Inc. is a Hague approved child placement agency, licensed in the state of Indiana and based in Indianapolis, Indiana. We have international adoptions programs in Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Congo, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Samoa and Ukraine. We also assist families adopting from other countries through our Individualized Country Program. Our team is experienced and diverse, consisting of both social workers and attorneys. We understand the variety of requirements now placed on the international adoption process, and are committed to providing all of our clients with the highest quality of assistance as they go through that process.
Please contact us if you are an adoption attorney seeking to assist a prospective adoptive parent adopt a child internationally.
Nicole Skellenger, JD
Nicole Skellenger works as MLJ Adoptions’ Chief Executive Officer and Adoption Attorney. Nicole has spent time in orphanages with children who have nothing and are desperate for affection and has committed herself to using her skills to create better futures for these deserving children.
Nicole Skellenger, JD
Nicole Skellenger works as MLJ Adoptions’ Chief Executive Officer and Adoption Attorney. Nicole has spent time in orphanages with children who have nothing and are desperate for affection and has committed herself to using her skills to create better futures for these deserving children.