USCIS info...

Thank you all for your encouraging comments and e-mails after my last post and little meltdown. I got an e-mail today from a fellow waiting momma with the following info from the USCIS site:

Hague Adoption Convention - Update on Implementation (December 18, 2007)

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is pleased to provide this update concerning the implementation of the Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (“Hague Adoption Convention”), signed at The Hague in May 1993.

On November 16, 2007, the President signed the instrument of ratification for the Hague Adoption Convention. The Department of State deposited the instrument of ratification on December 12, 2007, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On December 18, 2007, the Department of State published in the Federal Register at 72 FR 71730 a written notice that the Convention will enter into force for the United States on April 1, 2008.

On that same date, the interim rule that USCIS published in the Federal Register on October 4, 2007, at 72 FR 56832 will become operational. This means that for all cases filed on or after April 1, 2008, any U.S. citizen seeking to adopt and bring to the United States a child habitually resident in any country that has ratified the Hague Adoption Convention must follow the Hague process, as specified in the USCIS interim rule. Under United States law, prospective adoptive parents who filed Form I-600A or Form I-600 prior to the effective date may continue to process their adoptions under the current orphan regulations, provided that the laws of the country of the child's origin allows for continuation under the current orphan regulations. It is important to note that some countries may require processing under the rules of the Hague Convention no matter when the case was initiated. In such cases, the adoption will have to be processed under the Hague procedures despite when the adoption process was initiated.

As of December 18, 2007, 75 countries have become parties to the Hague Adoption Convention, including the United States. The Hague Adoption Convention is designed to protect children and their families against the risks of unregulated adoptions abroad and ensures that intercountry adoptions are made in the best interests of children. The Hague Adoption Convention also serves to prevent the abduction of, sale of, or traffic in children. The new process protects the rights of children, birth parents, and adoptive parents while promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical practices among adoption service providers.

Cindy, thanks again for this info. I never did see this and it makes me feel a LOT better.

While I was at the office this morning, I stopped to take a little breather. It always makes me feel better when I take a minute to look around my work area and see all the little reminders of the adoption I have in there.

My friend and China travel buddy, Stephe, gave me this a long while back when she was my secret pal. I love it and look at it many times during the day...


This little plush lady, keeps me company at my computer...




This shot is dark, but these plaques have the Chinese characters for "love" and "hope"...


This little lady hangs from my in-box...




Not that I need a reminder of the adoption (I only think about it every minute), but it does feel good to be surrounded by all these things.