Dear Friend,
Every day, millions of children all over the world are living without families. The United Nations Children’s Fund estimates that 13 million children across the globe have lost both parents, and as many as 8 million children are living in institutional care.
These are children who long for a loving family to give them a forever home. At the same time, there are thousands of prospective parents in Texas and across the United States seeking to adopt children.
Despite the great need for adoptive parents, international adoption can be a slow and painful process. Many U.S. citizens who wish to adopt spend years waiting for a child only to be devastated when adoption proceedings fall through at the last moment or the child has to be returned to their birth country because of mistakes made thousands of miles away.
This has contributed to the decline of international adoptions to the United States by 72 percent since 2004. International adoptions worldwide have decreased by 50 percent during the same time period.
In an effort to address these problems and to make sure children that need a loving home can find one in America, I have introduced the Vulnerable Children and Families Act (H.R. 2532) with my colleague Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.).
The legislation promotes U.S. diplomatic efforts to improve international child welfare by helping foreign countries develop their own domestic adoption programs while strengthening opportunities for international adoption to the United States.
I am committed to making sure that the child welfare systems in the United States and abroad are working efficiently and effectively to provide permanent and safe homes to the most vulnerable of the world’s children.
Millions of children across the world are growing up without the security and stability that comes with family-based care. I hope you will join me in supporting efforts to help connect more children in need of permanent homes with safe, nurturing, and loving families in the United States.
Sincerely,
Kay Granger
Member of Congress