Joint Council on International Children's Services is a membership-based advocacy organization which advocates for every child's right to a safe, permanent, and loving family.  Joint Council members include world renowned child advocacy organizations, orphan care organizations, adoption service providers, parent support groups, medical clinics, and professional service providers.  Joint Council began its work thirty years ago as a grassroots professional organization that provided a forum for child welfare experts to share and exchange information, ideas, and their visions of intercountry adoption and child welfare.

Over time, as the need for international child advocacy developed, Joint Council evolved into a strong membership organization that works to promote the  highest standards for children living outside of family care. 

Today, Joint Council has become a leading voice for government officials, foreign delegations and embassies both within the United States and abroad.  Joint Council's staff works closely with the Department of State, USCIS, foreign ministries and governments, and Congress to address concerns in permanency issues and advocate for the best interests of children.  Joint Council has been successful in contributing to groundbreaking legislation such as the Intercountry Adoption Act and the Child Citizenship Act.  Further, we have been the driving force behind large-scale mobilzation efforts such as the Guatemala 5000 and A Child's Rights Campaign.

As the world continues to change and become more complex, there will be an increasing need for Joint Council to represent vulnerable children and families by becoming a more active and valued player in the international child welfare community.  Progressive partnerships between Joint Council and U.S. and foreign governments, lawmakers, and other NGO's will serve to improve the lives of the countless children that need loving families to live, grow, and thrive.