NCFA Blogs
From job titles to case files, the word "permanency" carries a heavy weight for all involved in the child welfare system. To fully grasp the significance, we must define "permanency" and the option...
In the Spring of 1997 while only 16, amidst a fire of fierce independence and an opportunity, I left home. I moved into a studio apartment with my brother and I did well enough matching myself to t...
by Peter Rupert Lighte Alive to diversion along the way, I am fortunate in having antennae which helped me discern purposeful adventure from frivolous distraction. How else could a gay and globetro...
The effects of adoption are widespread. Six in ten Americans have had personal experience with adoption, meaning they themselves, a family member, or a close friend was adopted, had adopted a child...
Introduced in November 2023, and endorsed by NCFA, the ADOPT Act would reform existing law and strengthen ethical practices to better protect everyone involved in a private, domestic infant adoptio...
The U.S. Department of State has released the FY2022 Annual Report on Intercountry Adoption. This covers the period of time from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022. In the report, the Depar...
The Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA), the Center for Adoption Policy (CAP), and National Council For Adoption (NCFA) call on the United States government and the int...
Ask your members of Congress to help The situation in Haiti is dire. Last week, Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called the situation in Port-au-Prin...
A lawsuit filed in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Superior Court last week makes serious allegations against numerous individuals and organizations, of child abuse, neglect, and failure to protect...
The U.S. Department of State has published its annual report on intercountry adoptions completed between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021. During this time, there were 1,785 intercountry...
NCFA recently conducted a webinar about supporting people in the adoption community who have roots in Ukraine and Russia. We have compiled a list of resources on this topic below. Supporting Youth ...
May 31, 2022 Update Last week, the U.S. Department of State issued an update regarding Judicial Adoption Hearings in Ukraine. Of note, is the confirmation of what adoptive parents and adoptive serv...
As National Adoption Month approaches - it has been celebrated annually in the U.S. since 1985 - so does NCFA's Adoption Hall of Fame ceremony and reception scheduled for November 2nd in Washington...
As the number of private adoptions in the U.S. declines, uncertainty for adoptive parents grows. Agencies are reporting steady interest from would-be parents but a decrease in the number of calls...
This year ACI is a sponsor, a sponsor of the color gold To NCFA I give tribute and with my highest esteem I do hold. An organization like ours with member support will never fold We're stro...
The pandemic was difficult for everyone, and I was crushed when COVID-19 canceled my 2020 summer internship with NCFA. So, when the opportunity for a 2021 summer internship presented itself, I...
Earlier this week the Department of State released its annual report on U.S. intercountry adoptions, providing statistics for October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020 and outlining adoption-related ac...
On Friday, July 9, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decided case No. 20-5158, in which National Council For Adoption (NCFA) was appellant. The matter centered ar...
On May 28, 2021, NCFA met via video conference with several African country adoption authority representatives to discuss transparent and ethical intercounty adoptions. I am currently a NCFA intern...
This was the question Show Hope Founders, Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, asked themselves when dreaming how to further address the medical needs of children who are in need of a permanent, l...
In May we recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to honor the influence and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans who have enriched and signif...
In many adoption processes, prospective adoptive parents are asked to agree in advance to comply with post-adoption reporting requirements. This is especially true for intercountry adoptions, as ma...
Dr. and Mrs. Wayne and Linda Sharp have been named the 2021 recipients of the Ruby Lee Piester Award. The Ruby Lee Piester Adoption Award is reserved for those whose exceptional and extraordinar...
I love the month of November because for me, it's a time to really reflect on the things for which I am grateful. I also love that National Adoption Month is the same month of Thanksgiving because ...
Each November, we recognize National Adoption Month as an opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate adoptive families and their children who have benefitted from both domestic and intercount...
National Council For Adoption (NCFA) joins the multitude of nonpartisan calls that the minor children of public officials should be off limits in political wars - and more specifically, personal de...
NCFA desires to honor all voices in the adoption community in a variety of ways. Today we welcome Avia Weber to the blog to share her adoption experience. Avia, will you introduce yourself to our bl...
National Council For Adoption (NCFA) is pleased to name the late Becky Weichhand of Stevensville, Michigan as the 2020 recipient of the Warren and Mary Alice Babineaux Award for her pass...
When teen adoptee Anna reached out to us on social media to ask how she could support adoption, we welcomed her to share her thoughts and experiences as an adoptee. Anna is the current Miss Pride of...
When we decided to take the 2020 National Adoption Conference online, we were faced with the daunting task of choosing a limited number of sessions that would be timely and have widespread relevance...
Education and training is central to the mission of National Council For Adoption. How fitting that on the day of our 40th Anniversary, we would welcome a record 475 registrants to our annual Nation...
Our thanks to guest blogger Rob Scheer, the 2019 recipient of NCFA's which honors individuals and organizations who have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure children who have been placed in fos...
At NCFA, we focus on all aspects of adoption policy, practice, and outcomes, and the events of the past weeks have painfully reminded us that racism still exists in our country. These are realities ...
Adoption dissolution has garnered national media attention in recent days in the wake of an announcement from YouTube influencers, Myka and James Stauffer that they had surrendered their son Huxley...
Uplifting Youth Voices During National Foster Care Month & COVID-19 Entering this new chapter of leadership at the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), I am excited to enga...
May 8, 2020 - Alexandria, VA - This week, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released its FY 2019 Annual Report on Intercountry Adoptions. The report shows that American families adopted only 2,971...
Prioritization of Adoption Visa Adjudication & Granting Humanitarian Parole for U.S. Citizens with Completed Adoptions March 27, 2020 - Alexandria, VA - Many U.S. families in the midst of inter...
Like all of you, we here at NCFA find ourselves navigating truly unchartered territory as the Coronavirus pandemic creates global uncertainty and societal upheaval. As we come to the end of thi...
NCFA is proud to announce newly elected officers of the Board of Directors as well as three new members of the Board. Heidi Bruegel Cox, J.D., has been elected Chairman for a two-year term. Ms. Cox ...
National news outlets have reported on the arrest this week of Arizona attorney Paul Petersen, who has been indicted on numerous charges related to the alleged trafficking of pregnant women and chi...
On November 8th, National Council For Adoption was proud to honor the achievements of four individuals who have made significant contributions to the adoption community: celebrated radio host Deli...
The Adoption Tax Credit is a great way to support adoptive families. You don't need be a tax expert to understand the basics of this credit, which thousands of families claim every year. We asked B...
I was speaking on a panel about intercountry adoption recently at a conference, and during the Q&A time an adoptive mom in the audience asked, “where does all the money go?” She was wonderin...
"Children who are unaccompanied or have been separated from their parents or guardians at the U.S. border are not—nor should they be considered—candidates for adoption by American citizens. Thi...
The U.S. Department of State has released its FY 2017 Annual Report on Intercountry Adoptions, revealing that American families adopted 4,714 children through intercountry adoption from Octo...
Ethiopia's parliament has passed legislation banning intercountry adoption. NCFA's Ryan Hanlon joined BBC World Service Radio to discuss how this decision places unparented children at risk. NCFA ...
Several years ago, the Armenian government began a process of deinstitutionalization, which involved substantially reducing the number of publically-run orphanages, residential schools, and night ...
The Council on Accreditation (COA) announced today that the organization has notified the U.S. Department of State of their intent to terminate their role as a national accrediting entity-a ...
Click on the image to view the full FAQs Nobody enjoys filing paperwork or paying filing fees, and for families that have completed an international adoption, they often think...
In honor of Black History Month, NCFA brings you a glimpse into the lives of several African-Americans who were adopted, lived in foster care, or were cared for by guardians. Many of these influent...
Yesterday, the Supreme Court released an opinion on Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl. The facts in this case are not simple. Summarily though, a man enrolled in the Cherokee tribe and a non-native Ame...
November is National Adoption Month! Exciting, right? We think so. An entire month devoted to raising awareness about the positive option of adoption, the thousands of children (104,000 to be exact)...
My journey to motherhood changed me in both expected and surprising ways. There were the inevitable twists and turns, ups and downs along the way, but becoming a mother to my two sons has allow...
I am honored to share with you my own personal adoption story, which is one of the reasons that I've dedicated my professional life to helping children find families through adoption. and so, ...