Vietnam resumes adoption cooperation program with the United States

On September 16, the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice officially granted operating licenses to two US organizations, Dillon International and Holt International Children's Services, to operate in the field of international adoption in Vietnam. The adoption cooperation program between the two countries was resumed after being suspended since 2008.

The adoption cooperation program between the two countries was resumed after being suspended since 2008. Illustration photo

The two sides will carry out special adoption programs for children with special needs, children aged 5 and older, and children who are siblings. This is a difference between the two countries' adoption cooperation compared to the period before 2008.

Ms. Tiffany Murphy - Head of the Consular Section of the US Embassy in Hanoi - explained that the target group of adoptees in this cooperation program is narrower. Specifically, if "list 1" according to the classification of the Ministry of Justice are normal children who need to be cared for, raised and adopted, the target group of the special adoption program in "list 2" are children in the most disadvantaged group who have no other options in the country. Apart from these cases, the United States will not handle any other adoption cases that do not meet the criteria of the special adoption program.

Ms. Murphy said the adoption cooperation program was resumed after Vietnam strengthened its commitment to improve its adoption system. The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Convention) entered into force in Vietnam on February 1, 2012. To date, the Government of Vietnam has implemented a series of steps to improve the implementation of the Convention, especially for children with special needs, older children, and siblings. The Law on Adoption, its implementing decree, and related circulars have been passed and are being implemented. The United States welcomes Vietnam's efforts to strengthen its child welfare and intercountry adoption systems and has determined that, through the special adoption program, adoptions from Vietnam can begin to be processed.

“The Ministry of Justice has full control over the list, matching children with adoptive parents. We believe Vietnam can do this transparently, ethically and humanely through a rigorous adoption process,” said Ms. Murphy.

In 2013, Vietnam settled 334 cases of children being adopted abroad, of which 200 were special cases. From the beginning of the year to July, Vietnam settled 274 cases of international adoption. Statistics also show that France is the country that receives the most children from Vietnam, followed by Italy, Canada and Spain.

According to LDO