Adoption law is largely state law. The parent-child relationship established by adoption, however, may have direct consequences in areas of Federal law affected by family status such as Social Security. All 50 states have statutes governing adoption as defined under the Uniform Adoption Act.

Gay couples looking to adopt face a number of challenges that married, heterosexual couples do not. Adoption laws in the United States remain a patchwork quilt when it comes to lesbians and gay men adopting.

The Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) protects children and their families against the risks of illegal, irregular, premature or ill-prepared adoptions abroad. This Convention, which also operates through a system of national Central Authorities, reinforces the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Art. 21) and seeks to ensure that intercountry adoptions are made in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights, and to prevent the abduction, the sale of, or traffic in children.

The Indian Child Welfare Act was enacted to ameliorate the problem of the massive removal of Native American children from their homes by both state welfare agencies and private agencies and to ensure that those children, once removed, would be placed in homes that reflect their cultures and traditions.

As part of the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, the Office of Children’s Issues actively engages in two issues that cross international borders: intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction.

The guiding principle of the Uniform Adoption Act is a desire to promote the welfare of children and, particularly, to facilitate the placement of minor children who cannot be raised by their original parents with adoptive parents who can offer them stable and loving homes. The Act is premised on a belief that adoption offers significant legal, economic, social and psychological benefits not only for children who might otherwise be homeless, but also for parents who are unable to care for their children, for adults who want to nurture and support children, and for state governments ultimately responsible for the well-being of children.

Acts of parliament, secondary legislation, and case law affecting fostering & adoption in the UK.

An overview of adoption laws in Austria, England, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

Each Contracting Party undertakes to ensure the conformity of its law with the provisions of Part II of this Convention and to notify the Secretary General of the Council of Europe of the measures taken for that purpose. Each Contracting Party undertakes to give consideration to the provisions set out in Part III of this Convention, and if it gives effect, or if, having given effect, it ceases to give effect to any of these provisions, it shall notify the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

The member States of the Council of Europe and the other signatories hereto, Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage.

Adoption-legally taking an individual born to others as one's own child-dates back to ancient times, though the practice has changed significantly over time and it is not common to all cultures. In recent times, adoption has become an international phenomenon that tests both precepts about natural human rights and the interface of different legal customs and systems.

On 7 May 2008, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted the European Convention on the adoption of children (revised). The convention will be opened for signature in November 2008, in Strasbourg, on the occasion of the handover of the Swedish chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers to Spain. Several member states have already welcomed this development and expressed their readiness to ratify the convention in the near future.

The principal Act for adoption in Scotland is the Adoption (Scotland) Act 1978 as amended by the CSA 1995.

By Kazakhstan law, a family can only adopt a child if it does not have legal parents or living relatives. If there are also any other couples from Kazakhstan that have expressed a desire to adopt, then these American families would not have been considered.

Prospective adoptive parents may find children available for adoption in Japan either through the Japanese Family Court and the Child Guidance Center (often located in the City or Ward Office) or through private parties such as missionaries, social welfare organizations, or adoption agencies..

Links and unofficial translations of some of the Kazakhstan laws affecting adoption.

Christians in India can adopt children by resort to section 41 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2006 read with the Guidelines and Rules issued by various State Governments. Apart from that there are customary laws permitting them to adopt children especially in Punjab.

This article places modern adoption legislation in a historical context by providing a historical overview of the regulation of adoption and the rights of children and parents in the three Abrahimic faiths: Orthodox Judaism, Roman Catholicism, and Sunni Islamic law.

Adopted at the 5th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 9th National People's Congress on November 4, 1998 and promulgated by Order No. 10 of the President of the People's Republic of China on November 4, 1998. The 5th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 9th National People's Congress hereby decides to make the following revisions in the Adoption Law of the People's Republic of China.

New Zealand is party to two key Hague Conference conventions dealing with the protection of children in situations of intercountry adoption or international child abduction. In this websites you will find useful information on adoption legislation in New Zealand.

American citizens are seeking to adopt children in ever increasing numbers. With the reduction in children available for adoption in the United States, more and more U.S. citizens have adopted children from other countries. This year, thousands of children came to the United States from foreign countries, either adopted abroad by U.S. citizens or as potential adoptees.

Latest news and legal information about the adoption of a child from Korea.

The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, ratified by the Guatemalan Congress on May 21, was created to ensure that international adoptions take place in the best interests of the child, and with respect for their fundamental rights, and to prevent the abduction, sale of, or traffic in children.

The Census Bureau has described in great statistical detail how the shape of the American family has changed dramatically over the last fifty years. Put bluntly: American families no longer look like the Cleavers. The practice of international adoption has contributed to this change, bringing into families children who are not biologically related to parents and who are often of other races. While international adoption has grown, it has not been without controversy. Article by Peter Conn, Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania, and the former Chair of the Board of Pearl S. Buck International.

The adoption law applies across the board to all adoptions in the PRC; it includes adoptions of orphaned, abandoned, and handicapped children in social welfare institutions, adoptions of blood relatives and step-children, and adoptions of non related children still living with their birth families or guardians. this articles discusses only those amendments that have relevance to most foreign adopters.

The LawSite is a single online source of child welfare and adoption law information for adoptive and foster parents, biological parents, child and family lawyers, juvenile and family court judges, agency personnel and child advocates of all kinds. The LawSite provides statutes, regulations, key cases, and explanatory materials, and many other resources for child welfare and adoption information.

The National Adoption Center and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption have launched the Adoption and the Workplace initiative to encourage employers to offer adoption benefits and to help employees find out how to advocate for benefits at the workplace. Here is a brief list of information that you'll find: 1) What you need to know about adoption benefits; 2) A list of employers that have adoption benefits; 3) A survey for employers to fill out; 4) An order form to buy materials; 5) Comments of families who have received benefits; 6) Tax credit information.

Adoption law differs from state to state, and federal laws also affect many procedures connected with the adoption process. It's important that adopting and placing parents, as well as those searching for family members, learn what these laws allow.

The purpose of these AAOAA pages is to give you the best information possible about adoption. The information here will help you find the agency providing the highest quality of infant and older child adoption services.

Nonprofit public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the adoptions of the more than 150,000 children in North America's foster care systems waiting to be adopted. Created by Wendy's founder, Dave Thomas, who was adopted as a child, the Foundation leads signature national service programs and works to streamline the adoption process and make adoption more affordable for families.

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute periodically publishes Policy Perspectives briefs focusing on important and timely questions in adoption. By examining key issues the Institute furthers its effort to provide accurate, research-based information, enhance understanding and perception of adoption, and work for better laws, policies and practices.

As one of the oldest and largest child welfare organizations, Joint Council on International Children’s Services is the lead voice on intercountry children’s services. With a mission to advocate on behalf of children in need of permanent, safe and loving families, Joint Council promotes ethical child welfare practices, strengthens professional standards and educates adoptive families, social service professionals and government representatives throughout the world. International child welfare agencies, child advocacy groups, parent support groups and international medical clinics choose membership in Joint Council as a means to address the critical issue of parentless children and creating permanent solutions.

The National Center for Adoption Law & Policy seeks to improve the law, policies, and practices associated with child protection and adoption systems. Every day we work towards realizing the goal that all children -- especially those who have been abused or neglected or are dependent on the state for their care -- have safe, healthy, permanent homes. Our primary tools in this regard are education, advocacy, and research.

NACAC promotes and supports permanent families for children and youth in the U.S. and Canada who have been in care—especially those in foster care and those with special needs.

The Center for Cognitive-Developmental Assessment and Remediation (BGCenter) is an Internet-based company, composed of independent professionals, specializing with services to the internationally adopted children and working in their own offices and in the Center.

Articles written by attorneys and experts worldwide discussing legal aspects related to Family Law including: adoption, alimony, child support and custody, child visitation, collaborative law, divorce, domestic violence, elder law, juvenile crime, juvenile law, juvenile probation, paternity, pre-nuptial agreement, separation.

Child abduction is the abduction or kidnapping of a child by an older person. By far, the most common kind is parental child abduction and often occurs when the parents separate or begin divorce proceedings. A parent may remove or retain the child from the other seeking to gain an advantage in expected or pending child-custody proceedings or because that parent fears losing the child in those expected or pending child-custody proceedings.

Child Support is the amount of money paid by one parent to contribute to the economic maintenance of their child. It may include a monthly court-ordered amount, medical and dental support, and child care support. Child Custody is a court´s determination to determine the legal and physical custody of a child or children. It may be granted to natural parents and to other parties such as grandparents.

Collaborative law is a binding, non-litigation approach to solving legal problems way in which the attorneys for both of the parties in a family dispute agree to assist them in resolving conflict using cooperative strategies outside the courthouse.

Divorce is the legal mean to dissolute or terminate a marital relationship between two people. Divorce laws are different in every state and in every country.

Domestic violence occurs when a family member, partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate another. Domestic violence often refers to violence between spouses, or spousal abuse but can also include cohabitants and non-married intimate partners. Domestic violence occurs in all cultures; people of all races, ethnicities, religions, sexes and classes can be perpetrators of domestic violence. Domestic violence is perpetrated by both men and women.

Elder law is the field of law that deals with the issues faced by the elderly. The major categories that make up elder law are: estate planning; wills; trusts; guardianships; protection against elder abuse, neglect, and fraud; end-of-life planning; disability and medical care; retirement planning; Social Security benefits; Medicare and Medicaid coverage; nursing homes and in-home care; physicians' or medical care directives, various levels of advice, counseling and advocacy of rights; tax issues; and discrimination.

Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues such as marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships, adoption, surrogacy, child abuse, divorce, annulment, property settlements, alimony and parental responsibility.