Adult Adoptee Experiences Report:  The National Council for Adoption (NCFA) a national advocacy, training and  resource center  recently published a new report on the “Adult Adoptee Experiences.”  NCFA’s new research report examined the multifaceted experiences and perspective of over 1200 adult adoptees.  The report is intended to contribute to the growing body of research that seeks to better understand adoptees from their own perspectives and to provide improved practices and policies in the adoption community. To read the report visit:

https://adoptioncouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Profiles_in_Adoption_-_Adult_Adoptee_Experiences_-_Final.pdf

To view more visit: https://adoptioncouncil.org/research/profiles-in-adoption/

Hospital Adoption Education Act of 2023” (H.R. 1475)

The majority of ob-gyn nursing staff are uninformed or misinformed when it comes to adoption, and how to provide ethical, compassionate care to expectant, birth, and adoptive parents. H.R. 1475 directs the development of programs to close the gap in adoption education and standardize healthcare practice to ensure that the well-being and rights of everyone involved in an adoption situation are protected and respected. Lead Sponsors: Rep. Lloyd Smucker, Rep. Don Davis

“Health care workers often play a key role in helping individuals with an unintended pregnancy, yet too often these health care workers don’t know how to provide accurate, non-directive information about adoption. We’re grateful to Rep. Smucker and Rep. Davis for their leadership on this bipartisan effort to ensure that health care workers have the ability to support expectant parents to understand and make a decision about adoption,” said Ryan Hanlon, President & CEO of the National Council for Adoption. For more information visit: https://adoptioncouncil.org/advocacy/

Adoption Courts Act” (H.R. 6700)

This new proposed legislation would require the Children’s Bureau to collect and maintain information regarding all private adoptions, and for other purposes. Lead Sponsor: Rep. Doug Lamborn.  “This legislation will ensure policymakers have accurate and useful information about adoptions in the United States,” said Ryan Hanlon, president and CEO of National Council For Adoption. “The federal government already reports on the number of intercountry adoptions and foster care adoptions; it’s time we add private domestic adoption as well.”
To view the Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6700/text?s=1

Voluntary Limited Accreditation for Adoption Services” (S.3551).

This proposed legislation would modify the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 to provide a limited accreditation option for performing certain adoption services.  Lead Sponsors. Sen. Roger Wicker and Sen. Amy Klobuchar.  Accreditation helps ensure compliance with adoption standards and helps adoption agencies attract families seeking to adopt. The lack of a limited accreditation option has caused led many smaller adoption agencies to lose business or go out of business relinquish their accreditation due to existing requirements to meet standards that do not apply to them, and this bill would help provide more options for adoption for the American people. To view the
Bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3551/text?s    https://adoptioncouncil.org/advocacy/

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Support Children and Families in Foster Care

Today, it was announced by the White House that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final regulation that will allow states to simplify the licensing process for kinship caregivers to become foster care providers and require that states provide these kinship caregivers with the same financial support that any other foster family would receive. To view the Fact Sheet please see:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/27/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-to-support-children-and-families-in-foster-care/