22 C.F.R. § 96.38 – Training requirements for social service personnel.

(a) The agency or person provides newly hired employees who have adoption-related responsibilities involving the application of clinical skills and judgment (home studies, child background studies, counseling services, parent preparation, post-placement, and other similar services) with a comprehensive orientation to intercountry adoption that includes training on:
1. (1) The requirements of the Convention, the IAA, the UAA, the regulations implementing the IAA and the UAA, and other applicable Federal regulations;
2. (2) The INA provisions applicable to the immigration of children described in INA 101(b)(1)(F) and (G) and the applicable regulations contained in 8 CFR 204.3 and 204.300 through 204.314;
3. (3) The adoption laws of any foreign country where the agency or person provides adoption services;
4. (4) Relevant State laws;
5. (5) Ethical considerations in intercountry adoption and prohibitions on child-buying;
6. (6) The agency's or person's goals, ethical and professional guidelines, organizational lines of accountability, policies, and procedures; and
7. (7) The cultural diversity of the population(s) served by the agency or person.
(b) In addition to the orientation training required under paragraph (a) of this section, the agency or person provides initial training to newly hired or current employees whose responsibilities include providing adoption-related social services that involve the application of clinical skills and judgment (home studies, child background studies, counseling services, parent preparation, post-placement, and other similar services) that addresses:
1. (1) The factors in the countries of origin that lead to children needing adoptive families;
2. (2) Feelings of separation, grief, and loss experienced by the child with respect to the family of origin;
3. (3) Adverse childhood experiences, and attachment and post-traumatic stress disorders;
4. (4) Trauma-informed parenting;
5. (5) Physical, psychological, cognitive, and emotional issues facing children who have experienced trauma, abuse, including sexual abuse, or neglect, and/or whose parents' parental rights have been terminated;
6. (6) The long-term impact of institutionalization on child development;
7. (7) Outcomes for children placed for adoption internationally and the benefits of permanent family placements over other forms of government care;
8. (8) The impact of adoption on other children already in the home;
9. (9) How adoptive parents can support children who experience racism and discrimination;
10. (10) How adoptive parents can support and advocate for children discriminated against due to physical, cognitive, and other disabilities;
11. (11) The most frequent medical, and psychological problems experienced by children from the countries of origin served by the agency or person, and the possibility that such problems may not be reflected in the medical reports transmitted to prospective adoptive parents;
12. (12) The process of developing emotional ties to an adoptive family;
13. (13) Acculturation and assimilation issues, including those arising from factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, and culture and the impact of having been adopted internationally; and
14. (14) Child, adolescent, and adult development as affected by adoption.
(c) The agency or person ensures that employees who provide adoption-related social services that involve the application of clinical skills and judgment (home studies, child background studies, counseling services, parent preparation, post-placement, and other similar services) also receive, in addition to the orientation and initial training described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, no less than 30 hours of training every two years, or more if required by State law, on current and emerging adoption practice issues through participation in seminars, conferences, documented distance learning courses, and other similar programs. Continuing education hours required under State law may count toward the 30 hours of training as long as the training is related to current and emerging adoption practice issues.
(d) The agency or person may exempt newly hired employees from elements of the orientation and initial training required in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section if the newly hired individual was, within the previous two years, employed by an accredited or approved adoption service provider where they had received orientation training pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section and §§ 96.39 and 96.40.