About Our Office

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Our Role

As part of the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, the Office of Children’s Issues actively engages in two issues that cross international borders: intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction.  In this work, we are fully committed to protecting the welfare and interests of children. We serve as the U.S. Central Authority for two multilateral treaties:

Our Issues

Intercountry Adoption

The United States welcomes more children through adoption than any other nation – over 100,000 during the last five years alone.  We assist parents as they seek to provide a home to orphans abroad through intercountry adoption by offering country specific information about the adoption process and by advocating for greater protections for adoptive parents and children abroad. 

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International Abduction

Parental child abduction is a tragedy that has long-term consequences for both the child and the left-behind parent. When a child is abducted across international borders, the difficulties are compounded for everyone involved.  We assist parents as they pursue recovery of their abducted children, and we offer tools to prevent future abductions.

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