Klobuchar, Cramer, Aderholt, Smith Request Action From State Department Regarding China Ending Its Intercountry Adoption Program

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and U.S. Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of State's Office of Children's Issues Director Vlad Lipschutz expressing disappointment with the People's Republic of China's decision to halt its intercountry adoption program. The lawmakers requested additional information from the Chinese government on its decision to end this program and the status of pending adoption cases for American families. The lawmakers also urged the State Department to press Chinese officials to complete adoptions that were in process at the time of the announcement.

"We are disappointed by the People's Republic of China's decision to halt its intercountry adoption program. This news is devastating for the hundreds of children and American families with adoption cases pending in China, many of whom have waited years for these adoptions to be completed," wrote the lawmakers. "As co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, the safety of adopted children and hundreds of would-be adoptees is our top priority, and the sudden termination of China's adoption program has exacerbated our concern for these children's well-being."

"We request you seek further clarification from the Chinese government on the details and reasoning for its decision to end its intercountry adoption program, as well as the status of pending adoption cases, and share the information without delay with adoptive families and service providers. We urge you to press Chinese officials about finalizing adoption cases so these children may be united with their adoptive families in the United States," concluded the lawmakers.

As co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, Klobuchar, Aderholt, Cramer, and Smith have led efforts to give every child a permanent home and improve the adoption process. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA) is the largest bipartisan, bicameral caucus in Congress. CCA brings together members of Congress from both parties who share the goal of ensuring all children know the love and support of a family through legal permanency in the forms of adoption, guardianship, and kinship care.

Klobuchar is a leader in the Senate in supporting adoptees and adoptive families.

Klobuchar and Cramer introduced the Supporting Adopted Children & Families Act to provide pre- and post-adoption resources, including mental health treatment, to support adoptive families. Klobuchar and Cramer also lead the Safe Home Act to protect adopted children from unregulated custody transfers. Earlier this year, Klobuchar and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the Voluntary Limited Accreditation for Adoption Services Act which would provide adoption agencies the flexibility and multiple avenues they can pursue to receive the necessary accreditation.

The full text of the letter is availableHEREand below:

Dear Director Lipschutz:

We are disappointed by the People's Republic of China's decision to halt its intercountry adoption program. This news is devastating for the hundreds of children and American families with adoption cases pending in China, many of whom have waited years for these adoptions to be completed.

As co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, the safety of adopted children and hundreds of would-be adoptees is our top priority, and the sudden termination of China's adoption program has exacerbated our concern for these children's well-being. Many of these children have special health care needs, and some will soon age out of care systems without the support of a permanent family. It is particularly critical that these children have access to the care and support that they need - which hundreds of American families approved for adoption are willing to provide.

We request you seek further clarification from the Chinese government on the details and reasoning for its decision to end its intercountry adoption program, as well as the status of pending adoption cases, and share the information without delay with adoptive families and service providers. We urge you to press Chinese officials about finalizing adoption cases so these children may be united with their adoptive families in the United States.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We are prepared to work closely with you to ensure these children are welcomed into safe and stable homes.

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