Call to Action

While it has nothing to do with Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan, it has everything to do with international adoption so I'd like to bring something to your attention. The future of adoptions from Vietnam is at stake, and there are tens of thousands of childrens lives that might be affected. Just as the struggles in Kyrgyzstan continue, we need to offer our support where we can. It is important, and we may need to call on others in the international adoption community to lend their support as well in the future.

Sometimes we forget we can make a difference. The $10,000+ tax credit we all enjoy now was the result of a letter and phone call campaign after Matthew came home, when the international adoption community pulled together to rally for an increase from the then current $5000 credit, and thousands of families since have benefited from our efforts back then...including us! Many of you might be in "wait" mode in Kyrgyzstan right now and can sympathize with the plight of many parents who are in limbo in Vietnam. Collectively, our voices are strong and loud, not easily ignored. Alone, we are merely annoying mosquitos easily swatted away. Please read the following and act if you feel called to do so.

Dear Families, Friends and Colleagues,

Senators Landrieu and Coleman, along with other Members of Congress, are continuing to show their support of ensuring every child’s right to a permanent, safe, and loving family. As part of their commitment, they will be forwarding a letter to Nguyen Tan Dung, the Prime Minister of Vietnam. This letter will encourage Vietnam’s continued participation in negotiations related to the new bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption. The letter will express Congressional support for the continuation of intercountry adoption and will emphasize the importance of the transition to a Hague-compliant system and a new bilateral treaty.

Between Monday, January 5th and Wednesday, January 7th, individuals can support this important initiative through the following methods. Please note that many of the Congressional offices will be closed for periods of time throughout the Holiday Season. Please be sure to contact your Congressional offices between January 5th and 7th.

Contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators and ask them to sign the letter to the Prime Minister of Vietnam regarding the future of intercountry adoptions from Vietnam. Also, not that if they are interested in signing, they should contact Sarada Peri from Senator Landrieu’s office (Sarada_Peri@landrieu.senate.gov) by Wednesday, January 7th. For a list of Senators and Congressman that have signed the letter as of the time of this writing, please see below.
You can find your Senators’ phone numbers and email address at www.senate.gov

You can find your Representatives’ phone numbers and email address at www.house.gov

Please note that many of the Congressional offices will be closed for periods of time throughout the Holiday Season.

Send a notice of support (and ensure that you receive updates on this initiative) via the Joint Council website. To finalize your message, you will need to follow the steps below.
Click here to go to Joint Council’s Webpage
Please note that this is a donation and sign-up page. This initiative is not an appeal for a donation.
Once on this page, please click, “Sign me up for Joint Council news.”
Under the communications preferences, select the drop down menu for “Newsflashes and Updates.”
Click “Sign me up.”
Fill in your information
Under the comment section type “Letter to Vietnam Prime Minister.”
Joint Council will also be forwarding the names of individual who contact us to Senators Landrieu and Coleman.

Contact your friends and family encouraging them to join the effort. Please feel free to forward this email to all interested parties.
The letter to the Prime Minister can only be successful with your help! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Joint Council staff via advocate@jcics.org



Please note the following Senators have already signed the letter to the Prime Minister of Vietnam:

Senator Landrieu

Senator Coleman

Senator Oberstar

Senator Lincoln

Senator Lautenberg

Senator Menendez

Senator Kerry

Senator Johnson

Senator Bill Nelson

Senator Akaka

Senator Roberts

Senator Murkowski

Senator Durbin

Senator Klobuchar

Please note the following Representatives have already signed the letter to the Prime Minister of Vietnam:

Rep. Jim Oberstar

Rep. Scott Garrett

Rep. Jerry Costello