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Many times you will read posts that have hundreds of abbreviations. Even for those of us who are actively involved in online communications it can be confusing at times. One abbreviation you definitely need to know is the JCICS. This stands for the Joint Council on International Children’s Services. Their brief description on the front page of their site says.
Joint Council on International Children’s Services is the oldest and largest affiliation of licensed, non-profit international adoption organizations in the world. Our membership includes adoption agencies, child welfare organizations, parent support groups and medical specialists with an interest in intercountry adoption.
It is worthwile to see if your agency is affiliated with the JCICS. It definitely is a good thing if they are as the JCICS is an advocate for the needs of the children but is also a great advocate for those who are adopting as well.
JCICS is not a new creation but has actually been in existence well over 2 decades. It was started simply as a professional organizations for agencies to communicate information and standards. Eventually as time progressed, there developed a great need for an advocacy group to act on behalf of children, parents, agencies, etc. JCICS met that challenge and has been at the forefront of providing timely information to those in the process, and even those after the process of adoption.
JCICS states the following on their site regarding their history:
Besides continuing to provide a forum for professional exchange through the annual Medical Institute and Conference, JCICS has become a point of contact for government officials, foreign delegations and embassies both within the United States and abroad. The JCICS Board and staff work closely with the Department of State, INS, foreign ministries and governments, and Congress to address concerns in international adoption and advocate for the best interests of children. JCICS has been successful in contributing to groundbreaking legislation such as the Intercountry Adoption Act and the Child Citizenship Act and has also helped to resolve intercountry adoption problems that have arisen in foreign countries.
Right now one of the large issue JCICS is faciliting is the interpretation of the Hague Convention and the ramifications it will have on international adoption. Look for articles here regarding the Hague and much of the information will have been provided through JCICS.
