Wicker, Klobuchar Introduce Voluntary Limited Accreditation for Adoption Services Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced the Voluntary Limited Accreditation for Adoption Services Act. This legislation would cut through the federal government's bureaucracy and expand international adoption options for Americans.

"Today, there are thousands of children around the world who are in need of loving families and permanent homes. Unfortunately, bureaucratic red tape makes the accreditations process difficult for international adoption agencies to obtain," said Senator Wicker. "The one-size-fits-all accreditation standard doesn't work for children needing stability and international agencies who facilitate the adoption process. Our bill is pro-family and puts more children in loving homes."

"Local adoption agencies help children around the world find the loving homes they deserve. But too often, families struggle to find accredited adoption service providers to assist them through the process," said Senator Klobuchar. "By creating a new pathway for providers that offer critical services like background and home studies, our bipartisan legislation ensures that families have trusted local agencies to help them navigate the adoption process and give children safe, stable homes."

Current federal government regulations require any organization wishing to provide international adoption services to be accredited under a single standard. This forces adoption agencies to jump through additional, unnecessary obstacles to keep their doors open.

The Voluntary Limited Accreditation for Adoption Services Act would provide adoption agencies multiple avenues to pursue necessary accreditation.

Senators Wicker and Klobuchar's bill would modify the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 to allow for a voluntary limited accreditation for adoption agencies for the following services:

• Performing a background study on a child in an outgoing case and reporting on such a study.

• Performing a home study on the prospective adoptive parent(s) in an incoming case and reporting on such a study.

• Monitoring a case after a child has been placed with prospective adoptive parent(s) until final adoption, including preparing post-placement reports.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.