GAO Issues Report on Adoptions and Unregulated Custody Transfers
Last week the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on the issue of unregulated custody transfers what some in the news media have labeled as “rehoming.” The GAO report, Steps Have Been Taken to Address Unregulated Custody Transfers of Adopted Children was undertaken at the request of Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) and Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI). News reports approximately two years ago tracked the practice of some adoptive parents transferring their adopted child to another home through postings on the internet, and bypassing the state courts and sometimes subjecting the children to abusive or neglect situations. The news reports documented cases that mainly involved families that had adopted children from international settings. The term “rehoming” was lifted from a practice that is used to find new homes for pets. Earlier this year CWLA joined with Voice for Adoption, the Donaldson Institute and the North American Council of Adoptable Children issued a statement of [...]