Congress Supports the Action Plan for Children in Adversity

Please help us garner Congressional support for ensuring that the US government leads the way in ensuring children live within safe, permanent family care by contacting your Members of Congress today! What’s Happening      With the support of Senators Mary Landrieu and John Boozman, Representatives Trent Franks and Barbara Lee have authored a letter commending USAID Administrator Raj Shah, Administrator Donald Steinberg, and Special Adviser Neil Boothby on the launch of a “National Action Plan on Children in Adversity.”

What We’re Asking You To Do      We need you and your families and supporters to contact their three Members of Congress asking them to co-sign the Franks/Lee letter. Courtesy of our colleagues at the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, a sample ‘ask’ is attached (Children in Adversity_MOC_Letter)  (be sure to tell your Members to contact Franks or Lee’s office for more info on how to cosign). Please make your calls and then spread the word!

Why It’s Important        For the first time ever US government policy makes children living in safe, permanent family care a priority of our foreign assistance. And intercountry adoption is also a specific part of the plan for the first time! Getting Congress involved in ensuring the plan has adequate resource and implemented successfully is critically important.

The bi-partisan letter clearly supports the goals of the Action Plan including one of the key pillars – ensuring children live in safe, permanent family care. It also asks for further discussion on two important elements; funding and the selection of pilot countries. We need your help to make Congress aware and to solicit their support. Again, please make your calls and spread the word! The deadline for Members of Congress to cosign the letter is Wednesday, February 13th, so we need the calls to be made now!