Something you can do to help..

Okay, for all of you who are adoptive parents or others who want to help, here’s what one of our parents got from their congressman’s office.

Get busy, keep in touch and let the rest of us know if you hear anything substantial.

Tom Vanderwell

—– Forwarded Message —-
From: “Mancilla, Beatriz” <Beatriz.Mancilla@mail.house.gov>
To: DZwart@rocketmail.com
Sent: Fri, January 15, 2010 11:05:33 AM
Subject: International Adoption

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Zwart:

Thank you for contacting our office regarding your adoptive children, Ermithe and Destinee.  Congressman Hoekstra shares the concern for the children who have been affected by the earthquake in Haiti.  Many of these children are in devastated areas and it can be extremely difficult in such circumstances to provide even the basic humanitarian needs, let alone to gather the necessary documents to fulfill the legal requirements of the U.S. immigration law.  Nonetheless, please be assured that the U.S. Department of State Office of Children’s Issues is maintaining contact with the American Citizens Services and the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, regarding the adoptive children of U.S. Citizens.  Daily briefings continue and Members of Congress are updated frequently.  In the near future additional resources will be available to the adoptive families.

At this time, per the direction of the U.S. Department of State Office of Children’s Issues Congressional Branch please proceed with the following request:

Adoptions Info

U.S. citizens with pending adoption cases in Haiti are requested to contact the Department of State at AskCI@state.gov for information about their adoption case.  In your inquiry, please include: full name and contact information of parents, full name(s) of child(ren), date(s) of birth of child(ren) [if known], and the name and contact information of orphanage.  Your constituents can find additional information about adoptions in Haiti at http://adoption.state.gov/news/Haiti.html#.

Also, please send me a copy of the email that was sent to the U.S. Department of State.  Attached is a Privacy Act Release Form that you will need to fill out and return it to our office.  This will allow our office to maintain contact with the U.S. Department of State on your behalf.

<<Privacy Form Dept. of State.pdf>>Privacy Form Dept of State

Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian community, the adoptive children and their parents, and all of the volunteers providing the humanitarian necessities’.  If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Beatriz Mancilla

District Representative

Office of Congressman Pete Hoekstra

184 South River Avenue

Holland, MI 49423

Phone:  (616) 395-0030

Fax:  (616) 395-0271

Email:  Beatriz.Mancilla@Mail.House.Gov