A multinational agreement developed at the beginning of this decade designed to promote the development of institutional structures for the supervision of adoption and to open lines of communication between sending and receiving countries. The United States has ratified this convention and has implemented it on April 1, 2008. Only Hague Accredited adoption agencies can send or receive children with other Hague Signatory countries. If the sending country is not a Hague Signatory country, a non-Hague Accredited agency may still operate in that country.

Heroin is an illegal, highly addictive drug. It is both the most abused and the most rapidly acting of the opiate family. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seedpod of certain varieties of poppy plants. It is typically sold as a white or brownish powder or as a black sticky substance known on the streets as "black tar heroin."" Although purer heroin is becoming more common

HIV / Human Immunodeficiency Virus can be spread via infected blood and from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. HIV can damage the immune system interfering with the body's ability to fight organisms that cause diseases. It can take many years before HIV can weaken ones immune system converting the diagnosis to AIDS. Today in the U.S. the research for a cure has made dramatic positive leaps and there are medications that have shown to slow the onset or progression of he disease. Unfortunately in many underdeveloped countries, HIV/AIDS continues to be an epidemic.

The Term HIV Positive /HIV+ means having a positive reaction on a test for the human immunodeficiency virus which is used to indicate if an individual has been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus but does not yet have AIDS. Persons who are HIV+ require counseling, information regarding transmission of the virus, and close supervision of their health status. In the United States it is rare that their status will convert to an AIDS diagnosis due to the many medical breakthroughs we have had.

A study of the home of prospective adoptive parents, completed prior to placement of a child in their home, validates suitability to adopt for the courts.