Effective January 1, 2026
World Links does not give refunds for services rendered. World Links invoices families in phases so that fees are paid at the time the service is being rendered.
In the event that a client pays for a service that has not been rendered, World Links returns the funds to which the prospective adoptive parent is entitled within sixty (60) days of the completion of the delivery of services (22 CFR 96.40(h)).
The version of the Refund Policy published at wliaa.org/refund-policy/ is the version incorporated by reference into every adoption services agreement. It is published here so that families can review it at any time, and it specifies when and how funds advanced to cover fees or expenses will be refunded if adoption services are not provided (22 CFR 96.40(d)).
What is refundable and what is not
- Fees paid for services already rendered are not refundable.
- Tax-deductible gifts to World Links are not refundable.
- A refund is issued only when the family has prepaid for a service that has not been rendered.
- The MFAMG fee is not refundable once World Links has paid it to CEAS, the accrediting entity that oversees Hague-accredited agencies. It appears on the family’s fee schedule as the MFAMG fee.
Families who move to another state
A family that moves out of state after prepaying post-adoption reports may choose another agency to complete them. If the reports were prepaid to World Links, World Links can forward the prepaid amount to the new agency. The family informs its program coordinator of the change. This does not apply in states where World Links is licensed: choosing another agency there does not earn a credit or refund.
Families who switch to another World Links program
A family that switches to another World Links program after paying fees receives a waiver of the application fee for the new program and a credit toward it. The credit is larger when the switch is made in order to be matched with a waiting child. Pass-through fees are not credited. These are amounts World Links collects and pays to others on the family’s behalf, such as the foreign program fee and the MFAMG fee. The program coordinator provides the exact figure in writing before the family decides.
Donations and Grants
Refunds are limited to fees the family paid personally.
If the family received a grant, the grant amount is not refundable to the family.
If a grant covered all of the family’s fees and left a credit on the account, World Links contacts the grant organization before releasing anything. The money is returned to the grantor or released as the grant agreement provides.
How to request a refund
- The family asks its program coordinator for the refund request form, completes it, and mails it to the address on the form.
- The Executive Team reviews the request against the family’s fee schedule, payment records, and file, confirms that it meets this policy, and issues a decision within 30 days of receiving the form.
- Once the Executive Team approves the refund, it is recorded in the family’s file and Accounting mails a check within 30 days of approval.
The same steps apply if the only refund is a post-adoption report deposit that came to World Links through a transfer from another agency.
Questions about this policy: email hello@wliaa.org or call (570) 344-8890.