Hague Adoption Convention Will Enter Into Force in Lesotho on December 1, 2012 UPDATED

US DOS released two notices on October 31, 2012 regarding the Hague Convention. Previously only one US agency was operating in Lesotho–Americans for African Adoption (AFAA). AFAA is not Hague-accredited. We found a blog of a PAP who was using AFAA as recently as May 2012. That blog indicated that others were also in the process of “being matched” at that time and no entries have been made since May 2012. AFAA does not have any information about Lesotho on their website currently.

Placement to the US Statistics

2011  10

2010  11

2009  2

2008  1

2006  4

2004  1

2002  6

First DOS Notice

See here and pasted below:

“Notice: Lesotho Deposits Its Instruments of Accession to the Hague Adoption Convention

On June 18, 2012, the Kingdom of Lesotho deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption Convention (Hague Adoption Convention) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On August 24, the Kingdom of Lesotho designated the Ministry of Social Development as the Central Authority (the Ministry) for the Convention. The Hague Adoption Convention will enter into force for Lesotho on December 1, 2012.

Adoption Cases in Progress

The Ministry has advised the U.S. Central Authority that existing laws, rules and procedures will apply to any adoption where a Mosotho child was officially matched with prospective adoptive parents prior to the entry into force of the Convention on December 1, 2012. The Ministry defines an official match as any child who matched with prospective adoptive parents during a matching meeting chaired by a Ministry official and involving representatives of Lesotho childcare facilities and adoption service providers.

The Ministry will process cases initiated on or after December 1, 2012, and those that do not meet the criteria outlined above as Convention cases.

Questions regarding whether an adoption may proceed under the old laws and regulations may be addressed directly to:

Limakatso Chisepo
Principal Secretary
Ministry of Social Development
Parliament Road
Maseru 100, Lesotho
Telephone: 226 5803 8783
Email: chisepol@health.gov.ls”

Second DOS Notice

See here and pasted below:

“Notice: Ministry of Social Development Accepting Applications from Hague Accredited Adoption Service Providers that Wish to Facilitate Adoptions in Lesotho

On June 18, 2012, the Kingdom of Lesotho deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption Convention (Hague Adoption Convention) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On August 24 the Kingdom of Lesotho designated the Ministry of Social Development as the Central Authority for the Convention. The Hague Adoption Convention will enter into force for Lesotho on December 1.

The Ministry of Social Development, Lesotho’s Central Authority under the Hague Adoption Convention, is accepting applications from Hague accredited adoption service providers who wish to facilitate the adoption of eligible Mosotho children by qualified U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents. The Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho wishes to select an adoption service provider who meets the following criteria:

• Hague accredited;
• Experienced in helping the sending country establish and run a successful domestic  adoption program;
• Experience working in Africa;
• Experience working in a country with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS; and
• Experience working in a country of orphaned and double-orphaned children.

Interested adoption service providers may submit their application, or direct inquiries, directly to:

Mrs. Limakatso Chisepo
Principal Secretary
Ministry of Social Development
Parliament Road
Maseru 100, Lesotho
Telephone: 226 58038783
Email: selloaneqhobela@yahoo.com ”

REFORM Puzzle Piece

 Scary that they want a foreign adoption agency to establish their domestic program. History just keeps repeating itself!

Update: An Alert for Lesotho was released December 5, 2012 by DOS.

See here and pasted below:”

Alert: The Hague Adoption Convention Enters into Force for Lesotho

On December 1, 2012 the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) entered into force for Lesotho.  However, the Government of Lesotho notified the U.S. Embassy in Maseru that the Government of Lesotho is suspending receipt of new adoption applications from all receiving states until March 1, 2013, to give the country time to put a fully functional Convention process in place.

Adoptions initiated prior to December 1, 2012 may be considered transition cases, and therefore will be able to complete the pre-Convention adoption process.  Transition cases are defined as those in which:

• Prior to December 1, 2012, a prospective adoptive parent filed a Form I-600A with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services identifying Lesotho as the country of origin, filed a Form I-600, or completed the adoption; and
• The child was “officially matched” with prospective adoptive parents prior to December 1, 2012.  The Ministry of Social Development defines an official match as one in which the match was made during a matching meeting chaired by a Ministry official, and involving representatives of Lesotho childcare facilities and adoption service providers.

We caution adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents that intercountry adoptions between the United States and Lesotho will not resume until steps are taken to ensure that intercountry adoptions from Lesotho comply with the Convention.  Adoption service providers should neither initiate nor claim to initiate adoption programs in Lesotho until the Department of State notifies them that the Government of Lesotho has lifted its temporary suspension of intercountry adoptions and that Lesotho’s procedures meet the requirements of the Convention.”

Update 2: US DOS releases March 1, 2013 notice. See here and pasted below:

“Notice: Adoptions from Lesotho to Begin Under the Hague Adoption Convention

The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) entered  into force for Lesotho on December 1, 2012.  At that time, Lesotho did not yet have a fully functional Convention  process in place and elected to suspend intercountry adoptions. The Government of Lesotho notified the U.S. Embassy in Maseru that the current suspension on intercountry adoptions will  cease on February 28, 2013. The United States determined that it will be  able to process Convention intercountry adoptions initiated from Lesotho on or  after March 1, 2013. However, please  note that minor delays may be encountered while the Ministry of Social Development finalizes its structure for in-country fees, which the Ministry expects to publish in April 2013.

The  Government of Lesotho also notified the U.S. Embassy in Maseru that accredited  adoption service provider Small World, Inc. is now authorized to provide  services in Convention adoptions from Lesotho. This is the only U.S. adoption service provider currently authorized to operate in Lesotho. Adoption service providers interested in  seeking authorization should contact Lesotho’s Ministry of Social Development.

The  Department of State cautions U.S. prospective adoptive parents and adoption  service providers that the Ministry of Social Development does not expect to publish a fee structure for in-country fees until approximately April 1,  2013. The Department of State reminds  adoption service providers that, in accordance with the accreditation and  approval standards, prospective adoptive parents must receive a detailed fee schedule  for the entire process, including foreign country program expenses, when  deciding whether to contract with a specific adoption service provider.”