Trump Administration Imposes New Restrictions for International Adoption

Adopting children internationally, while already a highly-regulated process, has become even more difficult for hopeful American families.

The Columbus Dispatch reported this week that since the Trump administration took office, the State Department has started imposing new regulations on international adoption agencies in the United States. Government officials have also begun re-interpreting regulations on accreditation of U.S. adoption service providers, which has already resulted in one American international accrediting entity to stop offering accreditation services — and can be expected to greatly reduce how many American families can hope to successfully complete international adoptions in the near future.

Today, per the State Department’s requirements, U.S. adoption agencies providing international adoption services are responsible for every person or entity that interacts with prospective adoptees — even if that American agency has no ability to influence the actions of those other providers. This, combined with the more restrictive regulations on international adoption agencies, seems to have only accelerated a rapid decline in international adoptions by American parents.

These recent international adoption changes and proposed legislation to the adoption tax credit have many adoption professionals crying foul. While some adoption professionals say the new international adoption restrictions are necessary, others say the supervision of foreign providers in international adoption is an impractical step toward making the process safer and will severely hurt many hopeful adoptive parents.

To express your concerns about the administration’s treatment of adoption-related issues, please contact your local representative today.