Prohibition on Child Buying
Across The World Adoptions (ATWA) works to ensure that inter country adoptions are in the best interests of children and seeks to prevent the sale, exploitation, abduction or trafficking of children. ATWA does not compensate any individual providing adoption services with an incentive fee or fee contingent on each child located for adoption. Compensation is instead based on services rendered or on an hourly wage or salary basis. Any practice that consists of or is related to, payment for a child or as an inducement to release a child for adoption is strictly forbidden. ATWA employees, coordinators and prospective adoptive parents are prohibited from giving money, gifts, bribes or other consideration directly or indirectly to any person or entity, including any biological relative or caregiver of a child, as payment for a child or as inducement to release a child for purposes of adoption.
Legitimate, ethical adoption related costs and expenses permitted under Hague Convention standards may include:
- Pre-birth and birth-related medical costs
- Costs of care for the child
- Costs of care for the birthmother while pregnant and for a reasonable period immediately following birth of the child
- Legal, governmental and other reasonable costs related to an adoption proceeding
- Costs and expenses for providing child welfare and child protection services, including contributions to agencies, institutions or orphanages and government administrative fees.
