Please Support the FACE Act

I've been reading a little bit about the FACE Act this week, and believe it is a very good piece of legislation that needs to be passed through. Please, if you would, contact your representative and senators, and ask them to support this legislation. I believe that all senators and representatives have websites where you can contact them - you just put in your name, address, and email, and then type up your message. I was new to this, so in case you are too, you can find your representative's contact information here and your senators' contact information here. And, ask all your friends and family to do the same. :)

Below is a copy of what I wrote to my US Representative and both US Senators. I added the last two paragraphs to personalize it, so that part would need to be modified, but feel free to copy and past what I used here for your message. Also, I did look up the name and status of the bills here. It is S.1359.IS in the U.S. Senate, and H.R.3110.IH in the U.S. House of Representatives, if you want to include that. Both were introduced in late June, and were referred on to committees.

I'm writing you to ask for your support of the FACE act. For some further information about the FACE act, the following is from McLane Layton, of Equality for Adopted Children (EACH):

"The intercountry adoption process is a long, tedious process for American citizens seeking to adopt a foreign born child. Paperwork includes home studies, finger printing and criminal checks. The process can take up to three years to complete.

At the completion of the adoption, the child must be approved for a U.S. immigrant visa in order to enter the U.S. and gain citizenship. The immigrant visa is required despite the fact that the "immigrant" is the child of a U.S. citizen.

The U.S. is one of the few developed countries in the world that requires internationally adopted children of citizens to immigrate in order to join their new families.Most countries recognize internationally adopted children as citizens upon the finalization of their adoption. The Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act (FACE Act) would recognize that internationally adopted children deserve to be treated as children of American citizens and accorded the same citizenship process as children born aboard to American citizens.

Under the FACE Act, Adoptive parents would apply for a U.S. passport and Consular Report of Birth instead of a visa. These documents provide adoptive parents with immediate proof of citizenship for their adopted child and provide immediate proof of U.S. citizenship."

Why am I interested in this legislation? My husband, Jock, and I are in the process of adopting from Haiti. We are currently now applying for Haitian passports for my two children - who in Haiti's eyes are legally our children and now share our last name. As it is now, after having already waited two years for the completion of the Haitian adoption process, then now wait another 6-12 months for a Haitian passport, and a United States Visa before they can come home.

These added steps not only cost the children lost time in an orphanage, without the loving specialized care of their mom and dad and big sister, it also requires extra costs on our part, which are added to an already costly adoption process. What great changes this law whould bring about, for the good of adoptive families, and ultimately, children around the world! Please support the FACE act.

There was also a petition started. Go here to sign, and also ask your friends and family to sign as well. Thanks!