PRIA Logo™
Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73not60

§14921 Accreditation or Approval Required in Order to Provide Adoption Services in Cases Subject to the Convention

Title 42 › Chapter 143— INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTIONS › Subchapter II— PROVISIONS RELATING TO ACCREDITATION AND APPROVAL › § 14921

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

People may not offer or provide adoption services for Hague Convention adoptions in the United States unless they are officially accredited or approved under this law, or they provide services while supervised and responsible to an accredited agency or approved person. There are four exceptions: a social worker or group may do a child background study or a home study and report it if an accredited agency approved the study; someone may give child welfare services if they are not otherwise handling the adoption; a lawyer may give legal help if they are not otherwise handling the adoption; and a prospective adoptive parent may act for themselves unless their State law forbids it.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §14921

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, no person may offer or provide adoption services in connection with a Convention adoption in the United States unless that person—
(1)is accredited or approved in accordance with this subchapter; or
(2)is providing such services through or under the supervision and responsibility of an accredited agency or approved person.
(b)Subsection (a) shall not apply to the following:
(1)The performance of a background study on a child or a home study on a prospective adoptive parent, or any report on any such study by a social work professional or organization who is not providing any other adoption service in the case, if the background or home study is approved by an accredited agency.
(2)The provision of a child welfare service by a person who is not providing any other adoption service in the case.
(3)The provision of legal services by a person who is not providing any adoption service in the case.
(4)The conduct of a prospective adoptive parent on his or her own behalf in the case, to the extent not prohibited by the law of the State in which the prospective adoptive parent resides.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This subchapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this title”, meaning title II of Pub. L. 106–279, Oct. 6, 2000, 114 Stat. 830, which is classified principally to this subchapter. For complete classification of title II to the Code, see Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective upon entry into force for the United States of the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, pursuant to Article 46(2)(a) of the Convention, with transition rule, see section 505(a)(2), (b) of Pub. L. 106–279, set out as an

Effective Date

s; Transition Rule note under section 14901 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 14921

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60