Department of State November 20, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of State (the Department) is proposing revisions to the Code of Federal Regulations to amend requirements for accreditation and authorization by the United States to provide adoption services in intercountry adoption cases. This proposed rule amends regulations to provide clarification, updating, or other adaptation of familiar accreditation and approval standards for intercountry adoption. It includes long-awaited provisions for intercountry adoption by relatives. The new regulations simplify and streamline the process by limiting the number of adoption services the primary provider must provide and capitalizing on the adoptive family's understanding of local culture and institutions. It provides a comprehensive definition of relative to clarify the relationships that are encompassed in the amendments to the accreditation rule. Also featured in this proposed rule is a new focus on supporting children and families in the event their adoptive placement disrupts.