Home Study is a written report containing findings of the social worker who has met on serval occasions with the prospective foster or adoptive parents. The purpose of the home study is to help determine whether the family is qualified to foster or adopt.

Finalization: the point when the court grants the Petition to Adopt of the adoptive parents and takes the necessary action to formally make the child a legal member of their family.

Hague Convention or Intercountry Adoptions – the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) is an international agreement to safeguard intercountry adoptions.

Central Authority in each country handle two-way communications with domestic courts, administrative agencies and foreign Central Authorities. Not only did the Abduction Convention establish Central Authorities that facilitated two way communications, but it also gave a whole laundry list of additional obligations to these new authorities with language requiring Central Authorities to take “any and all actions” to secure the goals of the treaty and cooperate with other Central Authority’s to do the same.

Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity (IAAME) is designated as an accrediting entity to accredit or approve adoption service providers to provide intercountry adoption services.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the federal agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States. We are a component of the Department of Homeland Security. We manage the first step in the process for U.S. citizens to adopt children from other countries. 

To determine the child’s eligibility for classification as a Convention adoptee. The U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parent files the petition to finalize the immigration process of a child who habitually resides in a Convention country. The petitioner must have an approved, valid Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, to file Form I-800.

Refers to a Hague-authorized adoption agency that oversees the six adoption services to ensure they are performed properly and ethically in compliance with the Hague Convention on International Adoption.

Refers to a person or an organization on which a primary provider relies to carry out one or more of the adoption services. A supervised provider can be an agency, person, or other non-governmental entity, including any foreign entity.