Department of State July 6, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of State (the Department) is the lead Federal agency for implementation of the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Convention) and the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA). Among other things, the IAA gives the Secretary of State responsibility for the accreditation of agencies and approval of persons to provide adoption services under the Convention. The IAA requires the Department to enter into agreements with one or more qualified entities under which such entities will perform the tasks of accrediting agencies and approving persons, monitoring compliance of such agencies and persons with applicable requirements, and other related duties set forth in section 202(b) of the IAA. This notice is to inform the public that on June 29, 2006, the Department exercised its authority under the IAA and entered into an agreement with the Colorado Department of Human Services under which the Department designated the Colorado Department of Human Services as an accrediting entity. In its role as an accrediting entity, the Colorado Department of Human Services will be accrediting or approving qualified adoption service providers located in and licensed by the State of Colorado to enable them to provide adoption services in cases subject to the Convention once the Convention enters into force for the United States. As the U.S. Central Authority for the Convention, the Department will monitor the performance of the Colorado Department of Human Services and approve fees charged by it as an accrediting entity. The text of the Memorandum of Agreement, signed on June 29, 2006 by Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State and signed on June 13, 2006 by Marva Livingston Hammons, Executive Director, Department of Human Services, State of Colorado, is included at the end of this Notice. Also included at the end of the Memorandum of Agreement is its Attachment 1, Colorado Revised Statutes Sec. 26-6-104(6.5).