| Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC October 5, 2006 Deadline to Apply for Accreditation or Approval Under the Hague Adoption Convention Set For November 17, 2006Today's Federal Register announces the establishment of the transitional application deadline (TAD) for November 17, 2006. The TAD is the date by which adoption service providers in the United States need to submit an application if they wish to be accredited, temporarily accredited, or approved to handle Hague Convention adoptions when the Convention enters into force for the United States. The State Department's website at www.travel.state.gov links to the TAD notice in the Federal Register . To become accredited, temporarily accredited, or approved to handle Convention adoptions, an adoption service provider must submit an application and the required fees on or before the TAD to an accrediting entity with jurisdiction to evaluate its application. The Department has designated two accrediting entities (AEs): The Council on Accreditation (COA) and Colorado 's Department of Human Services. COA will accept accreditation/approval applications from agencies or persons nationwide. Agencies licensed and operating in Colorado may submit an application to Colorado 's Department of Human Services. Application and fee information is available by contacting the appropriate accrediting entity at the following e-mail address or telephone number: Additional information on the TAD is contained in 22 CFR Part 96.19 on accreditation of agencies and approval of persons under the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA). Establishment of the TAD is a significant achievement and brings the United States closer to its goal of ratifying the Hague Adoption Convention in 2007. Once the Convention enters into force for the United States, prospective adoptive parents adopting a child from a Convention country will have assurances that they and the children they are adopting have the protections and safeguards provided by the Hague Convention. 2006/894 |
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