There are three different types:

•Primary providers must be accredited by the COA or Colorado DHS. They ensure the delivery of all six adoption services (see page 4 above)—either by providing the services themselves or supervising other agencies that provide some of the services.

•Supervised providers may be agencies, organizations, or individuals including facilitators or attorneys) in the United States or foreign countries. They must meet some but not all Hague requirements. Supervised providers may provide some of the six services under the supervision of the primary provider. They may not supervise other providers.

•Exempt providers are not accredited or approved. They include social work professionals or organizations that provide a home study of parents or a background study on a child. The study must be approved by a Hague accredited primary provider.

How can I adopt a relative from overseas?

The prospective adoptee must meet all the same requirements of U.S. immigration law, regardless of whether the child is a relative. This is true for Convention and non-Convention adoptions. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of State website at.

Under the Hague Convention 2011, can children from the United States still be adopted by citizens of other countries?

The primary focus of the Hague Convention is on serving the best interests of children who either have no parents or whose parents are unable to care for them. There is general agreement that such children are best served through placement with family members or, if that is not possible, placement with another family in their home country. Therefore, it is only after all of these possibilities are explored that a child might be eligible for placement in another country. In addition, the prospective adoptive parents must petition a U.S. State adoption court with jurisdiction over the case to adopt the child and must present all supporting evidence required by State law. The State court must find that the adoption is in the child's best interests. The court is responsible for issuing the final adoption decree or grant of custody for purposes of emigration and adoption in another country. (Adoption 2011)