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Suspension of Joshua Tree Adoptions
Please note: Effective September 30, 2025 Center for Excellence in Adoption Services (CEAS) fully assumed accrediting entity responsibilities for all accredited agencies in the United States. IAAME links may no longer work. For more information, visit this notice.
On January 22, 2020, the Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity (IAAME) suspended the intercountry adoption accreditation of Joshua Tree Adoptions (JTA) for failing to maintain substantial compliance with accreditation standards.
During this suspension, JTA must cease to provide all adoption services in connection with intercountry adoption cases. JTA is required to transfer their cases to another accredited or approved adoption service provider. If you have an open case with JTA, please contact them directly to find out how the suspension will affect your case. We also encourage families to review the information published by IAAME about selecting a primary provider/adoption service provider and the accreditation/approval requirements.
Affected families may wish to review information about Case Transfer Responsibilities on the Department of State’s website and information about If Your Agency is No Longer Accredited/Approved on the USCIS website.
The Department of State does not review or approve case transfer plans and has a limited role in their execution. The Department communicates with competent adoption authorities about the accreditation status of agencies and persons and case transfer plans, as needed. The Department also facilitates communication to the public about the outcome of accrediting entity determinations.
For more information, see IAAME’s website. If you have any questions about this announcement, you may direct them to IAAME at [email protected].