UPDATE!! February 29, 2008:
The United States Department of State just released the name of agencies who made the first list of Hague accredited agencies, and we are pleased to announce that we made the list and have obtained full Hague Accretiation! All the glory be to God who helped us get this far:
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You can visit the list here:
http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/convention/convention_4169.html
Hague Convention Disclosures
If you are considering international adoption, you have probably heard about “the Hague”. What is “the Hague” what does it have to do with intermational adoption?
The HAGUE CONVENTION ON PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND CO-OPERATION IN RESPECT OF INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION, of May 29, 1993,is a multilateral international treaty, which seeks to protect children in international adoption.
The treaty was agreed to by many nations, convinced of the necessity to take measures to ensure that intercountry adoptions are made in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights, and to prevent the abduction, the sale of, or traffic in children.
The objects of this Convention are:
a) to establish safeguards to ensure that intercountry adoptions take place in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights as recognized in international law;
b) to establish a system of co-operation amongst Contracting States to ensure that those safeguards are respected and thereby prevent the abduction, the sale of, or traffic in children;
c) to secure the recognition in Contracting States of adoptions made in accordance with the Convention.
For a full text of the Convention, please visit:
http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.text&cid=69
The United States has been working for over a decade to ensure that all adoptions that US adoptive parents complete, are in accordance with the principles set in the Hague Convention. The Hague Convention only applies between countries that have ratified it.
Guatemala has ratified the Convention and is in the process of passing Hague compliant legislation. Once both the US and Guatemalan governments have begun enforcement of the principles, all adoptions between Guatemala and the US will be governed by these new sets of rules. Implementation in Guatemala is expected January 1, 2008, according to the current Guatemalan government.
The Open Way Adoptions, is committed to providing adoption services in an ethical manner, and in accordance with the Hague Treaty’s principles of ensuring that intercountry adoptions take place in the best interests of children and preventing the abduction, sale, or trafficking of children.
Our Mission:
1. This organization was formed for charitable purposes, i.e., the permanent union of orphans in underprivileged countries with loving, caring, willing, qualified and capable parents.
2. To promote and facilitate an international adoption experience based in integrity, honesty, and truth.
3. To ease the financial burden of the adoption process by directing parents to ethical international adoption professionals who require reasonable compensation for their services.
4. To help adoptive parents navigate smoothly through the adoption process byproviding as much information as needed, as well as translation services to ensure proper communication with foreign contacts.
5. To provide as much information as possible regarding the health of children to be adopted.
6. To cover the monthly foster and medical care expenses of the orphans that come under our care.
7. To establish a fund to help military and lower income families that qualify, obtain assistance with lodging costs while visiting or traveling to pick up their children.
8. To promote awareness of financial resources available to help adoptive parents with funds for adoption.
9. To abide by all ethical standards in international and laws and principles that are set to protect the best interest of the children.
10. To avoid corrupt practices that promote compensation as a means of obtaining children for adoption or that provide incentive or contingent fees to for each child located for adoption.
11. To engage in any other lawful activity which may be authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, provided, however, that the purposes for which the corporation is formed shall at al times be consistent with section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as the objectives and purposes of the organization.
Hague Compliance Disclosures
Under U.S. law, every agency that provides adoption services in Convention countries is required to make disclosures to the general public and/or to prospective adoptive parents, to show compliance. All of our disclosures are collected on a single document for your convenience, and is available via email at your request.
The disclosures cover the following topics:
1. Eligibility Criteria
2. Adoption Services and Policies
3. Fee Schedule
4. Adoption Services and Referral Agreement - Sample, which includes:
· Complaint Policy
· Appeal Process
5. Foreign Supervised Providers working with TOWA
6. Number of Adoptions - the number of adoptions completed per year for the past three years, and the number of these placements and percentage that are disrupted or have been dissolved.
7. Number of Applicants - the number of applicants who apply to adopt yearly.
8. Number of Children Eligible for Adoption - we will disclose the current number of waiting children we are aware of as being eligible for adoption through our agency.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about any of these.