COA to Attend Upcoming Special Commission on the Practical Operation of the 1993 Hague Adoption Convention
COA’s Director of Hague Accreditation, Jayne Schmidt, will be travelling to the Hague as a representative on the US government’s delegation at the upcoming Special Commission on the Practical Operation of the 1993 Hague Adoption Convention. The Special Commission is a multilateral forum for government officials from across the globe convened every 5 years to exchange views on ways the Convention is working, challenges in intercountry adoption and ways to improve international cooperation.
This year, the discussions will focus on:
- The trends of intercountry adoption in the past 20 years
- Achievements and challenges regarding the principle of subsidiarity (seeking domestic placements before international placements)
- Finding ways for the intercountry adoption process to run smoothly and efficiently to eliminate delays contrary to the best interests of the child,
- Children with special needs
- Post-adoption issues, including post-adoption support, disruptions and dissolutions, and searches for origins
- Habitual residence, and specifically a discussion on adoptions that were completed as domestic adoptions but that should be covered by the Convention
- Discussions of relative adoptions, open adoption, and kafala
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Private Organization Accreditation
Debt Education and Certification Foundation (DECAF), a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, provides high-quality financial education and counseling, with nationwide outreach throughout the U.S. DECAF is HUD-approved, and recognized as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in Texas.
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Barry Gourley
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It is an honor to be a COA volunteer. I’ve had a great opportunity to work with fabulous COA volunteers, I’ve grown professionally in the COA accreditation process and I’ve met some wonderful people across this nation who are working hard to help and support children and families.
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