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Financial Ethics in Intercountry Adoption: Navigating Four Areas of Risk.
Mraz, Sarah.
National Council for Adoption.
Briefing Materials
7 p.
Copyright
Published: 2018
Adoption Advocate
, No. 117
National Council for Adoption
225 N. Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2561
Tel: 703-299-6633
Fax: 703-299-6004
TDD/TTY: (312) 663-3540
ncfa@adoptioncouncil.org
Available From:http://www.adoptioncouncil.org/
View: https://adoptioncouncil.org/publications/adoption-advocate-no-117/
Download: https://adoptioncouncil.org/content/uploads/2020/10/Adoption-Advocate-No.-117.pdf
This brief explains the responsibilities of adoption service providers (ASPs) in ensuring international adoptions are compliant with federal financial compliance regulations. It notes that while many of the fees and payments required in any intercountry adoption process are easily identifiable (foreign central authority dossier review and processing, USCIS, visas, etc.), there are other financial components in adoption processes that are harder to understand and manage. These include gift giving, travel expenses, compensation of staff or fees for services, and accounting and processing of third-party fees. Information for complying with regulations surrounding these financial components is provided and suggestions are made for ensuring lawful practices. It concludes agencies and professionals have a duty and obligation to exercise oversight and know inside and out the laws and processes in every country in which they work. Agencies are urged to document due diligence, share information on best practices and ethics, and listen to their gut and consider what is the best interest of the child.
Keywords:
ethics; intercountry adoption; adoption fraud; wrongful adoption; financial abuse; financial assistance; child welfare laws; federal laws; private agencies