The Florence Crittenton League of Lowell, Massachusetts, has been approved to handle international adoptions with countries that observe the Hague Adoption Convention.

The Lowell (Mass.) Sun reported that the accreditation was issued by the Council on Accreditation in New York, which since July 2006 has been the only national accreditor that is recognized by the U.S. State Department.

The Florence Crittenton League also holds accreditation from the Russian Federation, which is required in order to facilitate the adoption of Russian children.

Labels: international, adoption_agencies, accreditation

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A year ago, the Florence Crittenton League adoption agency was on the brink of shutting down after the agency's office manger pled guilty to stealing over $600,000. That money had been the agency's safety net, and its absence made the future questionable.

"But nearly a year later, through a combination of insurance money and donations... the venerable adoption agency has 'stabilized'... The agency is still in business, but now she has a staff of one..."

That staff of one is Ilze Keegan, a former social worker and Latvian refugee who serves as the agency's executive director. Keegan has implemented bookkeeping changes intended to prevent similar fraud from happening again. The agency was recently accredited to facilitate adoptions from Russia and has also applied for additional accreditations to expand it international adoption services. Source: Lowell Sun (MA)

Labels: agencies, accreditation

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Commonwealth Adoptions International, Inc., plans to close because it is unable to get the accreditation required by many countries. The agency has offices in Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas and Arizona.

"The agency learned in July that it had been denied accreditation required by the Hague convention - a treaty that governs international adoption, signed by the United States and nearly 75 other countries."

The agency intends to transfer most of its existing clients to other agencies, while other families that are further along in the adoption process will be able to complete it with Commonwealth. Source: Arizona Daily Star

Labels: agencies, accreditation, inter-country_adoption

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