* Definitions that are based on Minnesota standards are designated by a " M " before the term.

GENERAL TERMS

Adoption Agency - An agency licensed by your state of residence to prepare potential adoptive families, complete adoption study reports and place children in need of permanent adoptive families.

Adoption Study Report - A written report detailing the prospective adoptive family's life experiences, home, health, adoption preparation, life style, support systems, and adoption and parenting attitudes, values and beliefs. The ASR also summarizes the background checks completed for the prospective adoptive parents and any other adults living in the home.

Adoptive parent s - The family members who are related to the child through adoption. Adoptive mother, adoptive father, adoptive grandmother, etc.

Birth parent s - The family members who are genetically related to the adopted child. Birth father, birth mother, birth grandmother, etc.

Domestic adoption - The adoption of a child from the United States

Homestudy - See adoption study report.

International adoption - The adoption of a child from a country other than the United States.

DOMESTIC

ICPC Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children - An agreement between all 50 states that allows for the transfer of a child from one state to another for the purposes of adoption. Both the originating state and the receiving state must approve the child's move before the child leaves the originating state.

Special needs - A child with medical, emotional, mental or behavioral needs that will require on-going assistance and support. A child who is older and/or part of a sibling group.

Subsidy - Frequently a waiting child from the United States will be eligible for a subsidized adoption. A subsidy provides for the on-going care of a child with special needs. A subsidy can include medical insurance, respite care for the adoptive parents, provisions for counseling services and even a monthly stipend. The amount of the stipend and the types of services included vary according to the needs of the individual child.

Termination of Parental Rights TPR - The process by which a parent's legal rights to a child are revoked making the child eligible for adoption. The process can be voluntary or involuntary.

Waiting child - A child from the United States currently in the foster care system and usually a child with special needs. Also, a child currently residing in an orphanage in another country who may have special needs.

INTERNATIONAL

Dossier - A collection of specific documents that are sent to another country in order to process the adoption in court. In most cases these documents must be legalized notarized, state certified or apostilled and authenticated by the appropriate Consulate or Embassy. The documents needed for a dossier vary country by country and many must be dated within a specific time frame. Please check with your adoption counselor for a country's specific requirements before assembling any documents.

Notarized document - A form/document can be notarized when the document was signed in the presence of a notary public who then puts a stamp on the document and signs it verifying the validity of the signature. Before having a document notarized, families should verify that the notary is registered with the state, to register, the notary has visited a the service center in his/her country and signed a registration book. This signature is filed with the Secretary of State’s office. Only documents signed by a registered notary public can be certified or apostilled by the Secretary of State’s office.

Notarized "True and Correct" - Occasionally documents that are not signed must be notarized i.e., marriage or birth certificates. In this case, a photocopy is made of the original document. The notary public views both the original and the photocopy. The notary then writes the words "I testify that this is a true and correct photocopy of this document as viewed by me on this _____ day of ________, 20_____ at Minneapolis, Minnesota."

Certified document - A document can be certified in one of two ways. A person may receive certified copies of marriage and birth certificates from their counties or states. These certified copies are then referred to as "original documents". A certification for dossier purposes is different. In this case, the document is first notarized by a registered notary public. The notarized document is then taken to the Secretary of State's office or the notary’s county office where the notary's signature is verified. Once verified a Certification is stapled to the document.

Certificate of State or Apostile or Juret – what is the difference, what do I need?

Documents verified by the Secretary of State will have an attachment of either a Certificate of State of an Apostile, depending upon the agreement that the U.S. has with the country for which the documents are being prepared. When the documents are submitted to the State Secretary of State’s office for certification, a form is filed with the documents listing the country. The Secretary then attaches the appropriate certification.

Documents can also be verified at a county level for countries such as India. This certification is known as a juret by some counties.

Families should always check the dossier packet or with the Crossroads program assistant before certifying any documents.

Authentication - A process by which the notarized and certified document is viewed and approved by the Consulate or Embassy of the country from where the family wishes to adopt. Crossroads will send the documents for authentication after the family has had them notarized and certified.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) - A federal agency which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice. Families adopting a child from another country must first apply to and be approved by USCIS. Citizen and Immigration Services reviews the child's documents and gives approval for the child to immigrate to the United States once legal documents are received. USCIS is the agency responsible for granting United States citizenship to a child adopted from another country.

I-600A Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition - The form that is filed with CIS by prospective adoptive parents to receive approval to bring a child from another country into the United States for the purposes of adoption. In order to open this file, parents must submit the I-600A with photocopies of their birth certificates, marriage certificate if applicable and divorce decree s if applicable as well as two fingerprint cards per adult person living in the home completed by an authorized fingerprinting agency , Release form allowing CIS to interact with the family’s adoption agency, and the appropriate fee. The adoption study report must be received by CIS before approval will be given.

I-600 Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative - The form filed with CIS by prospective adoptive parents after the child has been cleared for adoption by the courts in the child's country of origin. This form can be filed in the United States or in the child's country of origin depending on the country and whether or not the adoptive parents travel.

I-171H Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition - The form CIS uses to inform prospective adoptive parents that their I-600A has been approved. This document is frequently used in dossiers.

IR-3 visa vs. IR-4 visa - A child arriving in the United States with "IR-3" visa stamped on the passport has a final adoption from his/her country of origin. This means that the child will become a U.S. citizenship upon entering the U.S. A child arriving in the United States with "IR-4" stamped on the passport either does not have a final adoption or may have a final adoption but because the adoptive parent s did not meet the child before legal adoption it is required that the adoption is finalized in a court of the county of the adoptive parent s residence before citizenship can be granted.

Readopt/refinalize - A legal process in which the adoption of an international child occurs in the adoptive parents' county juvenile court. As a result, the child receives a birth certificate from the adoptive parent s state of residence with the adoptive parent's names listed as the child’s parents.

Certificate of Citizenship naturalization - Children who enter the US with an IR-3 visa are immediately citizens. A certificate of citizenship is automatically sent within a short time. Children with an IR-4 visa can file for a certificate of Citizenship after finalizing the adoption in the country juvenile court of the adoptive parent s country of residence. To obtain this certificate, adoptive parents must file form N-643. This can be done immediately after finalization. Once the child is granted citizenship, the full rights and privileges of United States citizenship are conferred. The rights of a child with a Certificate of Citizenship are different from those who are citizens through naturalization. A naturalized citizen does not receive the full rights and privileges of United States citizens.

FREQUENTLY USED ACRONYMS

AFA - Adoptive Families of America

M DHS - Department of Human Services Minnesota The name varies by state. DHS may also be called DSS - Department of Social Services, DHSS - Department of Health and Social Services

JCICS - Joint Council on International Children's Services

MARN - Minnesota Adoption Resource Network

NACAC - North American Council for Adoptable Children

NCFA - National Council for Adoption