Haiti Spurs Push for Adoption Reforms in U.S. Government

A group of Congressional members supportive of adoption are working to create a streamlined system to match orphans from Haiti with U.S. families.  Helping to lead these efforts is Senator Mary Landrieu, a longtime adoption advocate.  Although the legislation championed by the group would focus first on Haitian orphans, it would ultimately apply to other areas in which there are orphans in need of families, seeking to make aspects of international adopion overseen by the U.S. government smoother and easier.  Supportive members of the U.S. Senate will seek to get the “Families for Orphans Act” out of committee this week and on to the floor of the Senate for a vote.   Among other elements, the bill would establish a specific office in the State Department to focus on adoption and to advance policies that work to find permanent homes for orphans.