Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity, Inc. to Withdraw as Accrediting Entity

Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity, Inc. to Withdraw as Accrediting Entity

Last Updated: May 29, 2025

Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity, Inc. (IAAME) has confirmed that it will cease serving as a designated accrediting entity. IAAME and the Department are working together to identify a mutually acceptable date upon which IAAME’s work will conclude and all accrediting entity responsibilities will transfer to Center for Excellence in Adoption Services (CEAS).

The Department appreciates IAAME’s work and its many years of accrediting and approving U.S. adoption service providers (ASPs). IAAME’s work in support of children, their birth families, and prospective adoptive families under the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Adoption Convention), the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA), and the Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 (UAA) began in 2017. IAAME served as the primary accrediting entity with jurisdiction encompassing the entire United States until CEAS was designated as a second accrediting entity in 2022 and the two organizations jointly performed the responsibilities of accrediting, approving, monitoring, and overseeing U.S. ASPs.

This decision will not affect the continuation of intercountry adoption in the United States. IAAME will continue to execute its responsibilities as an accrediting entity until the transition to CEAS as the sole accrediting entity is completed. 

The Department, IAAME, and CEAS are committed to a smooth transition for ASPs and prospective adoptive families. Discussions regarding the transition are in process, and the Department will share updates with the public as plans are finalized. Questions about this announcement may be submitted to the Department at AdoptionOversight@state.gov.