Stiffer rules should make international adoption process safer

International adoptions could get more complicated.

An international adoption agreement known as The Hague Convention will go into effect in the United States sometime next year, strengthening the rules that govern international adoptions.

It requires training for prospective parents, insurance for and forthrightness from adoption agencies, and proof that children are truly eligible to be adopted.

“The Hague Convention is the gold standard for adoption,” said Marshall Williams, vice president of international adoptions and family services at Fort Worth’s Gladney Center for Adoption. “It outlaws child buying and sets certain standards for adoption agencies and certain education standards families must complete.

“This is a good thing for families,” he said. “And in the long run, it’s the right thing to do.”

State Department officials advise people considering international adoptions to research their options and agencies carefully.

Dot and John Kent of Fort Worth, Texas, turned to the Gladney Center, a well-established agency that officials say facilitates at least 400 adoptions a year.

After taking months to collect and submit the required paperwork, the couple waited several more months before they learned that Fen Ping, a girl in China, would be their daughter.

Ultimately, they said, all the waiting and wondering was worthwhile.

“It’s a bit daunting at times,” Dot Kent said. “But we got our perfect child, our perfect match and we’re very happy.”

Now, about a year and a half later, Joy Grace Fen Ping Kent – known as “Gracie” – talks a lot, sleeps well through the night and has boundless energy.

“We look at her every day and pinch ourselves,” Dot Kent said. “It’s so wonderful.”

Each year, there are more than 100,000 adoptions in America; roughly one-fourth are international, one-fourth are domestic and half are children in foster care, according to estimates by the National Council for Adoption.

Foster-care adoptions are the least expensive. An average international or domestic adoption can cost $15,000 to $30,000 and take six to 12 months, said Thomas Atwood, president of the Alexandria, Va.-based council.

“There are many more parents looking to adopt than babies to be adopted in the United States,” Atwood said. “It’s the other way around in other countries.”

So far, 69 countries, including the United States, have signed on to The Hague Convention, which means adoption requirements still vary by country.

Some say The Hague Convention will make the international adoption process open and predictable. Adoption agencies will have to be accredited and follow certain rules, including regulations requiring additional insurance.

And officials say prospective parents will be better prepared after undergoing 10 hours of required training – a basic Adoption 101 course, including information about their soon-to-be child and his or her country of origin. Adoption agencies will be required to disclose up front their fees and the number of adoptions they have done and to provide sample contracts.

“This is a multinational effort,” Atwood said. “It brings more transparency to the system … and it makes sure the child is legally eligible to be adopted.

“By enacting this treaty, we’re creating a more orderly, transparent, predictable system and further strengthening protections for children.”