The Bailey Brag

I was largely unaware of the below until I read about it this morning and I acted upon it. It takes minutes. Would you take 5 minutes to copy and paste the below email (adding your name) and sending it out to our state representatives on behalf of the many orphans this will affect? I simply cannot imagine being one of the families patiently waiting for their child to come home only for something like this to happen and put their dreams and the life of their waiting child at a potentially permanent stand still. Some of us can adopt. Some of us can financially support others who are adopting. And some of us can simply be an advocate and volunteer minutes of our day to help a child. Which one are you?

The below post was borrowed from this blog…a family who has adopted two sweet boys from the Ukraine. And if you have the time, here’s another favorite blog of mine who has very recently adopted two young girls from the Ukraine, both with Down Syndrome. They are pure angels.

Even if you don’t feel the call to adopt, you can get involved in orphan care. And here’s a simple way to get involved today…
By now, most of you have probably heard about the decision in Ukraine to go forward with a vote to halt international adoption until an inter-country agreement is in place. Please take a moment to write to your senators & congressmen, then encourage your friends and family to contact do the same!

Below you’ll find a letter that you can use, or write your own.
To send a letter to your congressman:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

To send a letter to your senator just click on the state and follow the link:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Please help us get the word out!!
________________________________________________________

Dear (name),

I am writing to you today regarding a VERY urgent situation. Many families in the US are currently in the process of adopting children from orphanages in Ukraine. Most of these children are older or disabled. American families adopting these children offer them what may be their only opportunity at a normal and productive life free of crime, prostitution, or institutionalization due to illnesses that are treatable in the United States. I personally know one of these families.

On November 3, 2010, the Ukrainian parliament voted to proceed with voting on legislation that would halt all international adoptions until inter-country adoption agreements are in place (see the State Dept. announcement at http://adoption.state.gov/news/ukraine.html) . At this point, all that is needed for this to become law is one more vote in Ukrainian parliament and a signature by the Ukrainian president. This could happen any day. If it does, many families and innocent children will be greatly affected. I personally know one of these families.

I am writing to you to urge you to act quickly on this matter by 1. Contacting your Ukrainian cohorts and requesting a consideration of revision of the law to allow adoptions to proceed while the agreement is being drafted (as was done in Russia) and 2. Work with your colleagues in congress to begin drafting this agreement so that it is ready to go in the event the law passes.

Thank you for your timely consideration of this urgent matter!