MLJ Adoptions is excited to celebrate success as a primary provider! As an agency, we love it when families finalize their processes and bring their adopted children to the United States! While the process may be long and arduous at times, filled with unending stacks of paperwork, appointments and requirements, it is always rewarding when the family is united. Celebrating arrivals! Seeing the smiling faces of parents and children! Children obtaining their citizenship certificates! These moments are rewarding for all. It is an exciting day for the parents and the child as well as for the agency who played the role of primary provider.
The Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 (UAA) came into effect on July 14, 2014. It requires all families adopting from non-Hague countries to utilize the services of an accredited or approved adoption service provider to act as their primary provider. The law is intended to ensure adoptive parents that the adoption service provider complies with the same ethical standards and practices as if they were adopting from a country signatory to the Hague Convention. The primary provider also oversees all services provided to the family to ensure all services provided to the family are upheld at these same standards. As a primary provider, the adoption service provider can assist families in a relative adoption. They can also assist if the family has already obtained guardianship or adopted the child abroad and are seeking to bring their child to the United States. Generally if one of the following six services are being provided to an adoptive parent, they are required to seek the assistance of a primary provider:
- Identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption;
- Securing the necessary consent to termination of parental rights and to adoption;
- Performing a background study on a child or a home study on prospective adoptive parent(s), and reporting on such a study;
- Making non-judicial determinations of the best interests of a child and the appropriateness of an adoptive placement for the child;
- Monitoring a case after a child has been placed with prospective adoptive parents until final adoption; and
- When necessary because of a disruption before final adoption, assuming custody of a child and providing or facilitating the provision of childcare or any other social service pending an alternative placement.
The UAA in effect has also opened the door to allow agencies to work in many countries they would have not worked in before and to assist families wanting to adopt from these countries. Expanding services as a primary provider has allowed MLJ Adoptions International to offer services to families and children from various diverse countries around the globe. We have successfully assisted families in bringing home children from countries such as Bangladesh, Malaysia and Tanzania and continue to expand our adoption services for adoptive parents in countries such as Pakistan, Liberia, Nigeria, Sudan and Zimbabwe just to name a few. Whether you are adopting from Africa, adopting from Asia or adopting from South American, MLJ Adoptions International may be able to assist you as your primary provider. MLJ congratulates our families who have brought home their children through our primary provider program!
If you’re interested in learning more about our primary provider services, please contact us.
Photo Credit: Manalahmakhan
Sonja Brown
Sonja Brown works as the International Program Director for MLJ Adoptions’ programs in Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and Samoa. Sonja is also proud to work directly with our Individualized Country Program families who are adopting from countries where no adoption service providers currently operate.
Sonja Brown
Sonja Brown works as the International Program Director for MLJ Adoptions’ programs in Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and Samoa. Sonja is also proud to work directly with our Individualized Country Program families who are adopting from countries where no adoption service providers currently operate.