News Releases
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For Immediate Release
November 11, 2007 |
Contact: Betsy Hart
202-225-3915 |
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CONGRESSMAN JOE DONNELLY WRITES LETTERS TO UNICEF AND PRESIDENT OF GUATEMALA EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT CHANGES TO INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION POLICIES
Policy Halts Processing of Adoptions with Non-Hague Countries, Including the U.S.
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Washington, D.C. - Last week, Congressman Joe Donnelly sent letters to the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ann Veneman, UNICEF Guatemala Representative Manuel Manrique and the President of Guatemala Oscar Berger Perdomo regarding the country’s recent decision to require all adoption cases to meet Hague policy as of January 1st, 2008, and to stop processing of intercountry adoptions with non-Hague countries, including the US, until such a system can be implemented. This change would force 3,000 children whose parental rights were legally relinquished and properly referred to an adoptive family to remain outside permanent familial care indefinitely.
Due to the thousands of children that would be left without a family for an indefinite amount of time -- most likely years -- while Hague policies are put in place Congressman Donnelly asked UNICEF and the President of Guatemala to implement a system that would allow the current law to be applied for adoption applications for children whose parental rights were legally relinquished or terminated prior to January 1st, 2008.
To see the letter that Congressman Donnelly sent to the Executive Director of UNICEF, Anne Veneman, and UNICEF Guatemala Representative Manuel Manrique, click here.
To see the letter that Congressman Donnelly sent to the Honorable Oscar Berger Perdomo, click here. ###
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