Please Help: A Family of Four

I am asking for a favor on behalf of a really, really dear friend of mine, L. The Short One, from DC. She and her absolutely adorable husband, J. The Tall One, adopted a darling little boy, J. The Tiny One last year. They have been ecstatic being a family of three. They would love to become a family of four. They are in the process of adopting a sister for J. The Tiny One from Guatemala. They have already started this process, and under normal circumstances expected to bring their little daughter home sometime in late February or early March of 2008.

However, Guatemalan President Berger has stated that all international adoptions will be halted as of January 1. 2008. He has also stated that there will be no “grandfathering in” of adoptions already in progress. The international adoption community is trying to get an agreement that will allow all cases that are in process to finish.

As you can imagine, they are very concerned that they will not be able to bring their daughter home.

This breaks my heart into a million little pieces. These are some of the kindest, funniest, most generous people I have ever known in my life. L. The Short One has been an incredible role model to me. I don’t know if my word means much, but I do hope you’ll consider helping them out.

Here is what you can do to help. (Most of this info has been provided by them. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns.)

It involves contacting your members of Congress. The first time I ever contacted my representatives about an issue, I was nervous and a bit intimidated. So! Silly! Please believe me when I say that you have every right (and I’d dare say, responsibility!) to contact these folks and expect them to listen to you with respect.

Please leave a comment if you decide to call and let me know how it went. Woo hoo! Citizenship in action!!

Anyway... back to the work at hand:

Below is what you can do to help and some information to make this easier.

• If you have time on October 9, 10 or 11, please call or write your Congressional Representative and Senators to ask for their help. Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff. If that person isn't available ask for the staffer who works on adoption issues.
• If you aren’t sure who your Senators are, please click here.
• If you aren’t sure who your Representative is, please click here.
• It will be helpful to find out if your representatives and senators have a special interest in adoption before you call. (http://www.ccainstitute.org/memoc.php)

Here are some things to say:

1. Thank them for speaking with you. If their boss is a member of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, thank them for working for adoptive families.
2. Inform them that you are calling regarding Guatemala 5000.
3. Inform them that the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1, 2008.
4. Inform them that the President of Guatemala's (President Berger) announcement also indicated that there will be no ‘grandfathering’ of adoptions already in process.
5. Ask them to sign the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) sponsored letter to President Oscar Berger.
6. Ask them to sign the Joint Council on International Children’s Services sponsored letter to UNICEF.
7. These letters ask that all adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
8. Thank them for their time.
   

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THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!