What is the Hague Convention and why is it important?
The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) is an international agreement to safeguard intercountry adoptions. The Hague Adoption Convention protects children and their families against the risks of unregulated adoptions abroad, ensures that intercountry adoptions are in the best interests of the children and helps prevent the abduction, sale of, or traffic in children. The United States signed the Convention in 1994, and the Convention entered into force for the United States in April 2008. The Hague Adoption Convention applies to all adoptions between the United States and other counties that have joined the Convention. Approximately 75 countries have joined the Convention thus far View Convention Countries If adopting from a country that has joined the Hague Convention, it is important for prospective adoptive parents to understand the Hague Process. As indicated by the U.S. Department of State,
