Adoption and Citizenship
Since the days immediately after Haitian children began entering the U.S. through Humanitarian Parole, Joint Council has been aware of two very specific challenges in completing the adoption of these children and separately, in achieving status as a U.S. citizen. In collaboration with other advocates including the Center for Adoption Policy, Joint Council has met with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services regarding these two issues. Joint Council along with the Center for Adoption Policy and others will again meet with DS and HSS next week. It is our collective goal to firmly establish procedures which will allow for the unencumbered and timely completion of Haitian adoptions for children brought into the U.S. via Humanitarian Parole. Similarly, we are working towards what most likely will be a legislative fix on the issue of attaining citizenship for these children. Currently the only path to citizenship involves a two-year process and for those children over the age of 16 - no path to citizenship exists. We hope to work with our partners at the Center for Adoption Policy to ensure that all children can become U.S. citizens in a timely and efficient manner.
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