DOS: Options for Families and Youth Accreditation Expiration

From here: “The Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity (IAAME) reports that on November 12, 2018, the accreditation for Options for Families and Youth (OFY) expired. OFY did not re-apply for accreditation.

Agencies that are not accredited or approved may not act as a primary provider. They may, however, perform services for intercountry adoption under the supervision of an accredited or approved adoption service provider in accordance with the regulations. When an agency’s or person’s accreditation or approval expires, they are responsible for transferring cases and records as required by 22 CFR 96.33(e) and 96.42(d). Families working with OFY should contact the agency directly with questions about case or record transfer.

The Department of State does not review or approve case transfer plans and has a limited role in their execution. We do, however, communicate with foreign Central Authorities and competent adoption authorities about the accreditation status of agencies and persons, as well as case transfer plans, as needed.

Affected families may wish to review information about Case Transfer Responsibilities on the Department of State’s website and information about If Your Agency is No Longer Accredited/Approved on the USCIS website.

We also encourage families with outstanding post-adoption reports to contact OFY for guidance on how to proceed. Information about post-adoption reporting requirements is available on the country-specific information pages on the Department of State’s website. Requirements vary by country with respect to frequency of submission, information to be included, and methods of submission.”

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