‘Not agency’s job’ to scout around to meet adoption needs
Speaking in advance of a conference on the changing landscape of intercountry adoption, Nigel Cantwell, an international consultant on child protection policy, said it was “not part of the Hague mandate of a central adoption authority or competent authorities in a receiving country to scout around for and develop intercountry adoptions from countries of origin”.
He said the reality was that, as the Hague Convention was becoming more widely ratified, fewer numbers were being declared adoptable from these countries. As a result, increased pressure was being placed on non-Hague countries and countries new to intercountry adoption to provide larger numbers of children.
