Notice: Suspension of Services to U.S. Adoption Service Providers

Notice: Suspension of Services to U.S. Adoption Service Providers

The Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs informed the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa that as of September 12, 2012, the Ministry temporarily suspended services to

and

. This suspension follows reports of abuse to Ethiopian adoptees placed with U.S. families by these agencies. This suspension of services applies to new cases only. While court hearings may be assigned, the suspension of services may prevent a final decision from the Federal First Instance Court, or a final decree from the Ministry, from being issued. The Ministry indicated that this action is temporary, and that a final determination will only be made once the Ministry has sufficient opportunity to investigate the abuse cases and to review the actions taken by the agencies to address the situation.

The Department of State will post further information regarding this matter as it becomes available on adoption.state.gov.