WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, announced that they have reintroduced the Children in Family Security Act. The measure would help children living in institutional care by enhancing diplomatic efforts to keep children in families.
“Every child deserves a permanent, safe, loving home no matter where they are born,” said Blunt. “Unfortunately, there are millions of children across the world who are growing up without the security and stability of a family. This bill will help childrenin need by enhancing diplomacy dedicated to strengthening the family, child welfare systems abroad, and intercountry adoption.”
“As the co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and a senator from Minnesota, a state with one of the highest rates of international adoption in the country, I have seen the power of adoption firsthand,” said Klobuchar. “We must continue to strengthen opportunities for international adoption. I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation alongside Senator Blunt to ensure our government is working in partnership with other countries to find children safe and loving homes.”
Millions of children around the world are growing up in institutional care not because it is in their best interests but because there is little or no support system in place to help them stay in families. This bill supports diplomatic efforts to keep children in loving families by promoting diplomacy with child welfare systems abroad and addressing unnecessary hurdles to international adoptions to the United States, which have drastically decreased since their peak in the early 2000s.
The legislation is supported by the National Council for Adoption, American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, Bethany Christian Services, Nourished Hearts, Center for Adoption Policy, and Gladney Center for Adoption.
The Children in Family Security Act:
- Ensures that efforts to keep children in families are a fixture in international diplomacy;
- Creates an Office of Children in Family Security and an Ambassador at Large for Children in Family Security dedicated to working with child welfare systemsabroad and promoting solutions to unnecessary hurdles to international adoptions to the United States; and
- Updates current law to reflect and affirm the current work of the Special Advisor for Children in Adversity, who focuses on coordinating assistance acrossthe federal government for children abroad who are suffering adversity in its many forms.