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The Red Tape

There should be no barriers to reuniting families. We make genetic technologies accessible to anyone who needs them.

Some common obstacles are:

Legal Barriers

The science of DNA is still being understood by government leaders. We help organizations reach decision makers and demonstrate the ways DNA can help reunite families. Our mission goes beyond that, to leverage DNA testing as a preventive measure against child exploitation through actions like proof of parentage laws. We always prioritizes safety, privacy and individual rights of program participants.

Financial Barriers

DNA tests are expensive to run on a large scale. Each test can cost up to $200 USD, and when the need is great, that financial barrier can be difficult to overcome. Costs include the actual test swab and chemical regents, the database with man power and skill for data entry and someone actively cross-referencing for a match. We help by running tests at no-cost, assisting in database processes and filling the labor gaps.

Societal + Cultural Barriers

Public knowledge around the problem of missing children is known, but the connection between DNA identification and genetic matching for reunification is a newer concept. We keep the process transparent, so it can be leveraged by those who need it most- but explaining it can take time and requires sensitivity.

Lack of Intergovernmental Cooperation

Countries right next to each other do not communicate about missing children. When a child is being trafficked over borders, or ends up in a different city, they can easily be unidentified with no hope of return. By encouraging communication between databases, we can facilitate international cooperation.

The Hague Convention on International Adoption

The Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption concluded in 1993, establishing a humane legal framework for international adoption that would stem child trafficking. An administrative cooperation was put in place so that central authorities could communicate with each other. For any given case, there must be licensed intermediaries and accredited bodies present to certify an adoption in the child’s country of origin. However, because of regulatory costs, many developing countries have not agreed to the convention. While a fair amount of enforcement oversight exists for individual adoption service providers, it assumes that all nations involved in the adoption industry enforce the rules. However, there are few consequences for failing to follow guidelines or refusing to sign the Hague Convention.

Current DNA laws

DNA and relationship testing may be useful for confirmation of biological relationship claims in immigration, identification of trafficked individuals, and family reunification of displaced people after mass disasters and conflicts. As these applications rely on the collection of DNA from non-criminals and potentially vulnerable individuals, laws vary greatly between country.

 

Safe collection, privacy of collected samples and DNA profiles are of primary concern for all of our partners. We work with countries to find labs, provide access to a network of international experts in the field, and help organizations reach lawmakers who can help establish standards.