Nonprofit Hawaii International Child Earns Four-year Accreditation

HONOLULU— Hawaii International Child (HIC) has achieved four-year accreditation through the Council on Accreditation (COA), the national entity authorized by the U.S. Department of State that implements safeguards to ensure intercountry adoptions take place ethically and in the best interest of children. The nonprofit adoption agency stands as the only child placing organization based in Hawaii that is accredited by the COA.

“Finding children through agencies that meet the highest standards of ethics has never been more important,” says Kristine Altwies, executive director and CEO of Hawaii International Child. “And there are so many children who are waiting to find families.”

Accreditation involved a formal evaluation of HIC’s compliance with the standards which includes close examination of the agency’s documents and verification of compliance during a site visit at the agency’s offices in Fall 2016. HIC was deemed in compliance with the standards founded in the Hague Convention, the Intercountry Adoption Act and the Universal Accreditation Act.

For more than 40 years, Hawaii International Child has served as a nonprofit family services provider, committed to children who are urgently in need of families including teens in foster care and children who may be harder to place. Its services include support for those who are pregnant and considering the option of adoption, as well as, helping prospective parents find their chosen children. It is a local nonprofit and is not affiliated with or funded by any national organization.

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