Calling the Adoption Community - PLEASE HELP/Guatemala Adoptions!

[jray]

Dear Friends,

PLEASE HELP ME BRING MY DAUGHTER HOME FROM GUATEMALA!

Last week, the Department of State received word that Guatemala has announced to SUSPEND all adoptions (EVEN THOSE IN-PROCESS, like ours) come January 1, 2007. I just can't imagine not bringing my daughter home! We will be more than halfway through our adoption process when that happens!

To make things worse, we have already spent over $20,000 and are emotionally attached to our baby girl. We have already been through so much to bring her home, and now she may never come home.

Just a simple phone call, a quick signing of a petition, or letter to our senators, UNICEF, and the DOS will help out more than you'll ever know. I don’t know what else to do other to reach out to my friends, colleagues, and family. Thank you so much!

Here's more information about this crisis and the JCISC’s mission to help:
http://www.jcics.org/Guatemala5000.htm

...and here's how you can help:
1) Sign these petitions: http://5000orphans.com/petitions.htm

2) Make six simple phone calls and one email.

1. Call your U.S. Senator.
• You can find your Senators’ phone numbers at www.senate.gov
• Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff

2. Call your second U.S. Senator.

3. Call your representative to the U.S. House of Representative.
• You can find your representative at www.house.gov
• Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff

4. Call or fax the Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues
• Their number is 202-736-9130
• Their fax number is 202-736-9080

5. Call or fax UNICEF Headquarter
• Ask to speak with Ann Veneman, Executive Director|
• Their number is 212-326-7000
• Their fax number is 212-326-7758

6. Call or fax UNICEF Guatemala
• Ask to speak with Manuel Manrique
• Their number is 011-502-2327-6373
• Their fax number is 011-502-2327.6366

7. Send and email supporting Intercountry Adoption to [email protected]
• Write briefly or at length
• Joint Council will use the cumulative email petition in our advocacy for Intercountry Adoption

When should you call?
Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (October 8th, 9th 10th)
For maximum affect, we are asking you to make these calls within a 72 hour window!

What should you say?
Speak from your heart and give them the following information:
• The Guatemalan government has announced that all adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008.
• Their announcement also indicated that there will be no ‘grandfathering’ of adoptions already in process.
• If children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care.
• Your office must get involved and sign the CCAI sponsored letters to the President of Guatemala and UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to processed to completion under the existing notorial laws.
• Your office should contact the Office of Children’s Issues at the Department of State. Their number is 202-736-9130.

Can you explain the problem behind the pending crisis? Here is some additional information…
• Guatemalan President Oscar Berger has announced plans to effectively stop all adoptions into the United States including those children who have already been referred to adoptive parents
• Over 5,000 children have been referred
• The birthparents for these children have already relinquished their parental rights. As a result, they currently have no family and the Berger suspension will result in these children having no prospect for a permanent, safe and loving family
• The government of Guatemala currently does not have the finances or facilities to even provide housing for these 5,000 children
• The Berger plan is a crisis waiting to happen

Thank you all so much!!

Joanna
"You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." (Eleanor Roosevelt)

[JustMe]

Joanna,

I recommend you also post this in the lounge, as more people might read it there.

Good luck to you. I hope your daughter is home soon. I know what you are going through having gone through a possible hague shutdown when adopting dd from Guatemala in 2003. Luckily, things were just delayed for us and dd did come home but it sure was an awful time for me until she was here.

Robyn