This is the first year of China’s membership to the Hague Convention. In preparation for their involvement in the Convention, a group of delegates led by CCAA Director Lu Ying paid international visits to countries such as the United States, Canada, and Iceland from April 7 to April 23, 2006. The purpose of these visits was tri-fold: first, to foster a relationship with both Canada and Iceland now that China has joined the Convention; second, to gain an understanding of the accreditation process mandated by the U.S. for its adoption agencies; and finally, to receive feedback on the trial period of the regulations entrusted on the website for children with special needs.

On April 7th and 21st, the delegation met separately with the Department Human Resources & Social Development of Canada and Iceland’s Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical Religious Affairs to discuss the adjustment of responsibilities now that China has joined the Hague Convention. The main focus of these discussions was on the distribution of responsibilities of the international adoption process between the two countries’ central offices. Also discussed at these meetings was the timeframe for submitting the application for the Hague Convention, transmitting and requesting the pattern and channel of advise, and suitably matching the age of the adoptive parents with the adopted children.

During the delegation’s visit to the U.S., they visited with adoptive families as well as the Council on Accreditation (COA) to further understand the U.S. federal government’s policies and procedures of accreditation which are imposed upon adoption agencies in accordance with the Hague Convention.The software system used to develop a website for children with special needs is an example of how the CCAA is exploring ways to adapt to a new wave of expansion and expertise. The goal is to help children with special needs and older children that are living in the welfare institutions to find families as conveniently as possible.

During their trip, the delegates not only visited adoption agencies in the US, Canada, and Iceland, but also personally visited adoptive families in order to better understand the living conditions of adopted children. In addition, they also organized small forums to help answer questions that concerned both the adoptive families and adoption agencies in the US.

Through their visits to these countries, the delegates were able to observe the enormous impact of the Hague Convention in the field of international adoption because it enables the system of international adoption law as well as agencies to be more complete, and it increases the strength of governments in managing and protecting the welfare and rights of adopted children from China more effectively.