The Child Welfare Information Gateway is a service of the Children's Bureau, which is a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The Child Welfare Information Gateway has published a series of informative publications available to the general public for free downloading. Following is a sampling of these publications. The entire list of publications may be found at www.childwelfare.gov/adoption.
- Professionals Bulletin
- Factsheets for Families
- Intercountry Adoption: Where Do I Start?
- Postadoption Services
- Selecting and Working with an Adoption Therapist
- State Statute Series
- Who May Adopt, Be Adopted, or Place a Child for Adoption?
- Use of Advertising and Facilitators in Adoptive Placements
- Use of Advertising and Facilitators in Adoptive Placements: Summary of State Laws
- Intestate Inheritance Rights for Adopted Children
- Access to Adoption Records: Summary of State Laws
- Postadoption Contact Agreements Between Birth and Adoptive Families
- Postadoption Contact Agreements Between Birth and Adoptive Families: Summary of State Law
- Intercountry Adoptions Finalized Abroad
- Intercountry Adoptions Finalized Abroad: Summary of State Laws
The United States Department of State regulates and oversees intercountry adoption. The US DOS website contains a wealth of information regarding intercountry adoption in general and about specific countries involved in intercountry adoption.
The DOS webside may be accessed at travel.state.gov/family
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
The USCIS will be involved in virtually every intercountry adoption. Permission must be sought from the USCIS for a child from overseas
to enter the US. The USCIS website has information about immigration of adopted children, visas for such children, and
citizenship for such children. The USCIS website intercountry adoptions page may be found at:
www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
Click "Services and Benefits" in the top menu, and then "Adoption" in the side menu.
Hague Convention Adoptions
The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption will substantially change the landscape for intercountry adoption. The Hague
Convention imposes new legal obligations on U.S. adoption agencies. The U.S. State Department is charged with overseeing
the implementation of the Hague Convention in the U.S. To help prospective adoptive parents understand the meaning and
consequences of the Hague Convention, the State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs, has a very helpful publication
entitled The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption: A Guide for Prospective Adoptive Parents. To download a copy of
this publication, go to:
http://travel.state.gov/pdf/Prospective_Adoptive_Parents_Guide.pdf
State Resources
- Oregon Department of Human Services Adoptions page
- Washington State Department of Social and Health Services general adoption information page
- California Department of Social Services -- Children and Family Services -- Adoption page
- Social Security Search for Deceased Persons
- Finding Persons in Military Service
- Inmate Locator
- searchtriad.org
- Accurint.com
- Locateplus.com
- www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_subsid.cfm (factsheet explaining types of assistance and eligibility requirements for state and federal assistance)
- www.acf.hhs.gov/j2ee/programs/cb/laws_policies/laws/cwpm/policy.jsp?idFlag=8 (federal child welfare policy manual)
- www.nacac.org (click on adoption subsidy link for specific state by-state information)
- www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/adopt_assistance/ (detailed state-by state information)
- Text of Indian Child Welfare Act
- 2006 tribes list
- Alternate tribes list
- National Indian Child Welfare Association
- List of state ICPC Administrators
- Association of ICPC Administrators
- American Academy of Adoption Attorneys position paper on proposed changes to ICPC
- American Academy of Adoption Attorneys
- Adoptive Families magazine and Adoption Guide
- Child Welfare League of America
- Joint Council on International Children's Services
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Family Leave (U.S. Department of Labor information)