Hague Training Requirements
Neither the Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity (IAAME) nor the US Department of State [DOS] gives accreditation for courses used for compliance with the training requirements in the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption [Hague Treaty] and the implementing regulations; therefore, Creating a Family does not warrant or guarantee that IAAME or DOS will accept our courses as evidence of compliance with these requirements. We have done our best to create courses that we believe will prepare parents and staff for intercountry adoption as required by the Hague treaty and the implementing legislation. For your convenience only, we have included the regulations that we believe our courses can be used in achieving at least partial compliance with the Treaty; however, adoption service providers must decide for themselves. Our inclusion of these regulations implies only that we believe that the course addresses some of the topics included in the specified regulatory section and does not imply that the course can be used in complete fulfillment of that regulation.
Before recommending a course for training requirements under the Hague Treaty or implementing legislation, Adoption Service Providers should take each course that they recommend and decide for themselves whether they agree with the information included in the course, whether it is aligned with the Hague Treaty and the implementing regulations listed, and whether it is in full or partial compliance with that regulatory section.
Hague Package for International Adoption includes:
- Introduction to International Adoption
- Evaluating Risk Factors in International Adoption
- Typical Behaviors of Children Adopted Internationally
- Introduction to Prenatal Substance Exposure
- Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally
- Transitioning Home as a Newly Adoptive Family
- Talking with Kids About Adoption at Different Ages
- Parenting Children Who Have Experienced Trauma
- Should You Consider Adopting a Child of a Different Race or Ethnicity
- Helping Internationally Adopted Children Develop a Healthy Cultural and Racial Identity
| Requirements § 96.48 Preparation and training of prospective adoptive parent(s) in incoming cases. |
Hague Package for International Adoption |
|---|---|
| (b)(1) The intercountry adoption process, the general characteristics and needs of children awaiting adoption, and the in-country conditions that affect children in the foreign country from which the prospective adoptive parent(s) plan to adopt; |
Introduction to International Adoption Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Typical Behaviors of Children Adopted Internationally |
(b)(2) The effects on children of malnutrition, relevant environmental toxins, maternal substance abuse, and of any other known genetic, health, emotional, and developmental risk factors associated with children from the expected country of origin; |
Evaluating Risk Factors in International Adoption Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Introduction to Prenatal Substance Exposure Typical Behaviors of Children Adopted Internationally |
(b)(3) Information about the impact on a child of leaving familiar ties and surroundings, as appropriate to the expected age of the child; |
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Transitioning Home as a Newly Adoptive Family Typical Behaviors of Children Adopted Internationally |
| (b)(4) Data on institutionalized children and the impact of institutionalization on children, including the effect on children of the length of time spent in an institution and of the type of care provided in the expected country of origin; |
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Parenting Children Who Have Experienced Trauma Typical Behaviors of Children Adopted Internationally |
| (b)(5) Information on attachment disorders and other emotional problems that institutionalized or traumatized children and children with a history of multiple caregivers may experience, before and after their adoption; |
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Parenting Children Who Have Experienced Trauma Typical Behaviors of Children Adopted Internationally |
| (b)(6) Information on the laws and adoption processes of the expected country of origin, including foreseeable delays and impediments to finalization of an adoption; |
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally |
| (b)(7) Information on the long-term implications for a family that has become multicultural through intercountry adoption; |
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Helping Internationally Adopted Children Develop a Healthy Cultural and Racial Identity Should You Consider Adopting a Child of a Different Race or Ethnicity Talking with Kids About Adoption at Different Ages Transitioning Home as a Newly Adoptive Family |
| (b)(8) An explanation of any reporting requirements associated with intercountry adoptions, including any post-placement or post-adoption reports required by the expected country of origin. |
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally |
| (c) The agency or person also provides the prospective adoptive parent(s) with training that allows them to be as fully prepared as possible for the adoption of a particular child. This includes counseling on: (1) The child's history and cultural, racial, religious, ethnic, and linguistic background; (2) The known health risks in the specific region or country where the child resides; and (3) Any other medical, social, background, birth history, educational data, developmental history, or any other data known about the particular child. |
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Parenting Children Who Have Experienced Trauma |
Staff Training: Hague Package (CE) includes:
- Common Special Needs in International Adoption
- Ethical Considerations and Child-Buying in Intercountry Adoptions
- Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally
- Helping Adopted Children Heal from Past Trauma and Loss
- Helping Internationally Adopted Children Develop a Healthy Cultural and Racial Identity
- Introduction to Prenatal Substance Exposure
- Things Families Should Consider When Adopting a Child of a Different Race or Ethnicity
- How Do Children Understand Adoption at Different Ages
- The Impact of Adoption on Kids Already in the Family
- Understanding the Hague Treaty on Intercountry Adoption and Implementing Laws
| Requirements (new requirements effective 1/8/2025) § 96.38 Training requirements for social service personnel. |
Staff Training: Hague Package (CE) |
|---|---|
(a) The agency or person provides newly hired employees who have adoption-related responsibilities involving the application of clinical skills and judgment (home studies, child background studies, counseling services, parent preparation, post-placement and other similar services) with a comprehensive orientation to intercountry adoption that includes training on: (1) The requirements of the Convention, the IAA, the UAA, the regulations implementing the IAA or UAA, and other applicable Federal regulations; (2) The INA regulations applicable to the immigration of children described in INA 101(b)(1)(F) and 101(b)(1)(G); |
Understanding the Hague Treaty on Intercountry Adoption and Implementing Laws |
| (a)(5) Ethical considerations in intercountry adoption and prohibitions on child-buying; | Ethical Considerations and Child-Buying in Intercountry Adoptions |
(b)(1) The factors in the countries of origin that lead to children needing adoptive families; |
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally |
| (b)(2) Feelings of separation, grief, and loss experienced by the child with respect to the family of origin; | Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Helping Adopted Children Heal from Past Trauma and Loss |
| (b)(3) Adverse childhood experiences, and attachment and post-traumatic stress disorders | Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Helping Adopted Children Heal from Past Trauma and Loss |
| (b)(4) Trauma-informed parenting | Helping Adopted Children Heal from Past Trauma and Loss |
| (b)(5) Physical, psychological, cognitive, and emotional issues facing children who have experienced trauma, abuse, including sexual abuse, or neglect and/or whose parents' rights have been terminated; |
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Helping Adopted Children Heal from Past Trauma and Loss Things Families Should Consider When Adopting a Child of a Different Race or Ethnicity |
| (b)(6) The long-term impact of institutionalization on child development; | Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Helping Adopted Children Heal from Past Trauma and Loss |
| (b)(7) Outcomes for children placed for adoption internationally and the benefits of permanent family placements over other forms of government care; | Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally |
| (b)(8) The impact of adoption on other children already in the home; | The Impact of Adoption on Kids Already in the Home |
| (b)(9) How adoptive parents can support children who experience racism and discrimination; | Helping Internationally Adopted Children Develop a Healthy Cultural and Racial Identity How do Children Understand Adoption at Different Ages |
| (b)(10) How adoptive parents can support and advocate for children discriminated against due to physical, cognitive, and other disabilities; | Common Special Needs in International Adoption |
| (b)(11) The most frequent medical and psychological problems experienced by children from the countries of origin served by the agency or person and the possibility that such problems may not be reflected in the medical reports transmitted to prospective adoptive parents; | Common Special Needs in International Adoption Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Introduction to Prenatal Substance Exposure Things Families Should Consider When Adopting a Child of a Different Race or Ethnicity |
| (b)(12) The process of developing emotional ties to an adoptive family; | Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Helping Adopted Children Heal from Past Trauma and Loss How Do Children Understand Adoption at Different Ages |
| (b)(13)Acculturation and assimilation issues, including those arising from factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, and culture and the impact of having been adopted internationally; and |
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Helping Internationally Adopted Children Develop a Healthy Cultural & Racial Identity |
| (b)(14) Child, adolescent, and adult development as affected by adoption. | Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Helping Internationally Adopted Children Develop a Healthy Cultural and Racial Identity How Do Children Understand Adoption at Different Ages |