Department of State October 5, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (the IAA), the Department of State (the Department) is the Central Authority for the United States for implementation of the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Convention). Under the Convention and the IAA, once the Convention enters into force for the United States, agencies and persons that seek to provide adoption services must generally be accredited, temporarily accredited, approved, or otherwise exempt. The United States intends to ratify the Convention once the necessary preparations for its implementation in the United States have been made. In this public notice, the Department is announcing the transitional application deadline (TAD). In order for an agency or person to be accredited or approved as of the time the Convention enters into force for the United States or for an agency to be temporarily accredited, an agency or person must submit an application and the required fee(s) on or before the TAD to an accrediting entity with jurisdiction to evaluate its application. The Department has designated two accrediting entities. They are: The Council on Accreditation (COA) and Colorado's Department of Human Services. The TAD is November 17, 2006. See 22 CFR part 96.19 for further information on the TAD. Agencies or persons that do not seek to be accredited or approved by the time the Convention enters into force for the United States may submit an application and the required fee(s) to an accrediting entity with jurisdiction to evaluate its application at any time after the TAD. Agencies seeking temporary accreditation must apply by the TAD.