At 13, I came to the United States from Japan with someone who promised to care for me—but within months, I was alone, without family, documents, or a way home. I entered foster care carrying fear and uncertainty. Years later,...
Category: Case Stories
Isabel and Marco’s Journey to Permanence
Two siblings were reunited with the family they already knew and loved, crossing borders to find stability and belonging.
At just 5 and 6 years old, siblings Isabel and Marco entered foster care after it became clear their home environment could not safely meet their needs. Though their grandmother first stepped in, follow‑up visits revealed the placement would not...
From Uncertainty to Stability
An independent social worker guides the process to ensure a child can safely return to family.
My name is Carolin, and I work with ISS‑USA as an independent social worker in Utah, conducting home studies and post‑placement visits. In 2024, I was contacted to assess a home in Salt Lake City for Sophia, a 13‑year‑old girl...
Finding Family Against All Odds
Local church helps to reunite mother and daughter
Over the past 2 year, ISS-USA has been working with a cross border family to reunite a mother living in Guatemala with her daughter who was adopted by a family in the Netherlands. Just after the case was received, COVID...
Family Reunification: Including Transnational Families
The Role of the ISS in the History of Private International Law
The ISS has been hiding in plain sight in the history of private international law since the 1920s. Anyone lucky enough to visit ISS-USA’s archives at the University of Minnesota would be astonished by ISS’s extensive engagement with virtually every aspect of transnational family law. During the first half of the 20th century the ISS left no stone untouched in an effort to devise an international socio-legal framework for cross-border family maintenance claims.
A Brave Escape
15-year-old Grace McCarthy was staying with relatives in China who she reported were abusing her and arranging a marriage she did not want. She believed her parents back in the U.S. were aware of the abuse and the arranged marriage; therefore, she was afraid to return to their care in the United States.
Sisters Unified After 60 Years!
Growing up, Carmen yearned to find her biological family. While she independently searched for her biological family, she received an email from ISS-USA informing her that her sister was searching for her as well.
Restoring Hope in Humanity
Due to internal conflict in Thailand, Don was unexpectedly forced to repatriate to the United States in September as the cases for Covid-19 were increasing. While Don was able to return through an emergency loan from the State Department, he was financially unequipped to resettle on such short notice.