Our Role
The Office of Children's Issues (CI), part of the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, plays an active role in the intercountry adoption process. In our work, we are dedicated to assisting parents as they seek to provide a home to orphans abroad.
We serve as the U.S. Central Authority for the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Also known as the Hague Adoption Convention, this is an international treaty among over 75 nations around the world, including the United States. The Office of Children's Issues is responsible for the day-to-day oversight and implementation of the Convention in the United States.
We have 21 full-time employees that work in intercountry adoption. Some of our primary functions include:
- Producing and maintaining country specific information about intercountry adoption;
- Issuing Adoption Notices and Adoption Alerts to inform prospective adoptive parents about developments in a country;
- Providing information about the adoption process to prospective adoptive parents, adoption service providers, and members of Congress;
- Working with U.S. embassies and consulates on diplomatic efforts with host governments about adoption laws and procedures; and
- Monitoring complaints against Hague accredited adoption service providers, and overseeing the work of designated accrediting entities.
