OK…So nearly every post on this blog relates to how much we love our daughter and want to share her antics with our friends and families. This one is a little different.

We recently learned about yet another situation in which families have been affected by the Haitian earthquake: adoptions. Many American families were in the process of adopting orphaned children from Haiti before the earthquake hit. Those adoption proceedings have stalled due to the destruction of “the system.” Adoptive children have to remain in Haiti while safe, loving homes wait for them here in the U.S. In fact, one mother we’ve heard about was in Haiti visiting her future son when the quake struck. She and her biological child who was travelling with her made it home, but they were not allowed to bring their Haitian son with them! I can’t even begin to imagine the anguish and helplessness these adoptive parents must feel.

Fortunately, there is a way to help them. Our government can grant Humanitarian Parole during emergencies such as the earthquake. If granted, children will be allowed to enter the U.S. to join their adoptive families until the time when their adoptions can be finalized formally.

Join me in contacting our congressional representatives and our President to express our support for these measures.We don’t have to send money. We just need to write letters. A friend even prepared a form letter that you can use. Copy it. Fill in the name of your Representative or Senator. Sign it. Send it. Help to make a difference in just a few minutes.

1. Go to Contacting the Congress to find the links to email your elected officials. You can also go to www.whitehouse.gov to contact President’s Obama’s administration.
2. Fill in the relevant information.
3. Copy and paste the sample letter below into the message box.

Dear (insert name of elected leader),
I write to request that you support and/or sponsor a political effort to extend Humanitarian Parole and all other available remedies to Haitian adoptive children who are caught in stalled proceedings due to the recent earthquake.
According to the U.S. citizenship and Immigration Services website, Humanitarian Parole may be extended "for admission into the United States based on urgent humanitarian reasons...
[f]or a period of time that corresponds with the length of the emergency or humanitarian situation." As President Obama has repeatedly acknowledged the gravity of the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, it follows that Humanitarian Parole should be available to prevent Haitian adoptive children and their U.S. families from being needlessly separated pending stalled adoption proceedings.
Thank you for your service and for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
(insert your name)

4. Fill in the name of your Representative or Senator.
5. Type your “signature.”
6. Click Send.
7. Say a prayer. God listens, even if we haven’t talked to Him recently.

It’s that easy. Let’s stop looking at this disaster and wondering what we can do about it. Let’s help some children come home!