(OVERLAND PARK, KAN.) - Anyone who has waited in line at the post office or experienced a problem with the IRS understands the frustration in dealing with federal government bureaucracies. Many people may not know it, but Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District-Kansas) can help constituents cut though the federal red tape. One area where Moore's office can provide assistance involves uniting international orphans with permanent families in Kansas.

"Children - no matter where they are born - deserve the opportunity to be raised by a loving family," Moore said. "The international adoption process can be a complicated ordeal filled with delays and obstacles. My office can help ensure adoptive parents are united with their children as soon as possible."

In the past year alone, Moore's office has helped over 35 constituents maneuver their way through the international adoption process. Caseworkers help adoptive parents by explaining how the immigration process works, facilitating communication with federal agencies and foreign governments, and bringing concerns to the appropriate officials.

One such case involved Shawnee Mission residents Grant and Brenda Rausch. The couple faced mounds of paperwork and processing delays in their pursuit to adopt an infant girl from China. The office of Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) said their application could take as long as 3 months to process. In the meantime, children without homes wait in institutional orphanages.

The Rauschs say they found the support and reassurance they needed from their congressional office. Moore's office provided status updates on their application, confirmed the necessary paperwork was filed, and provided an estimate of the processing time from CIS.

"There is so much more to this job than what happens in Washington," Moore said. "It is rewarding to be able to make a difference by playing a role in bringing together children and adoptive parents."

Moore serves as a member of the Congressional Adoption Caucus. He is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Intercountry Adoption Reform Act of 2004 (I-CARE). This legislation, H.R. 3896, establishes an Office of Intercountry Adoptions, headed by an Adoption Ambassador at Large, within the Department of State to act as a liaison between orphaned children and adoptive families. Additionally, the I-CARE Act would grant automatic U.S. citizenship to internationally adopted children upon their entry into the United States. Currently, this legislation is being reviewed in the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims.