In a bipartisan letter, Senator Reverend Warnock joined his colleagues in calling on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to engage in efforts to resume intercountry adoptions with China, which have been indefinitely paused due to the coronavirus pandemic

Washington, D.C. —  Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined his colleagues in a bipartisan letter urging U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to prioritize efforts to engage with the Chinese government to establish guidelines that allow American families to travel to China and unite with their adopted children.

“Several hundred American families have been approved and matched with children in China, but the pandemic has indefinitely halted many of these adoptions,” the senators said. “In the interim, many children have been left without the love and protection of a family, and many families are still wondering when they will be able to bring their adopted children home…We share the belief that uniting children with their adoptive families is a worthy and achievable goal and encourage your efforts to resolve this issue and renew the partnership in adoption between the United States and China.”

Full text of the letter can be found here or below.

We write to advocate for intercountry adoption, united by the belief that every child has a safe home with a loving family who is receiving the support it needs for a successful placement. The U.S. Department of State plays an instrumental role in this mission, and we encourage you to make intercountry adoption a priority in your dealings with countries working in partnership with the United States on such a meaningful and nonpartisan issue.

In particular, we are concerned about children in the People’s Republic of China who are waiting to join their American adoptive families and respectfully request that the U.S. Department of State prioritize efforts to engage with the Chinese government to allow American adoptive families to travel to China so they can bring their adopted children home.

Several hundred American families have been approved and matched with children in China, but the pandemic has indefinitely halted many of these adoptions. In the interim, many children have been left without the love and protection of a family, and many families are still wondering when they will be able to bring their adopted children home. The United States maintains a concern for the security and welfare of children, and that is why we understand the need to enforce proper protocols that limit the spread of the coronavirus.

In fact, testing and quarantine periods can be implemented to address concerns about virus transmission. This is why we encourage the United States and China to hold diplomatic discussions at the highest levels to establish guidelines that allow American families to safely travel to China and unite with their adopted children.

We share the belief that uniting children with their adoptive families is a worthy and achievable goal and encourage your efforts to resolve this issue and renew the partnership in adoption between the United States and China. Many American families are eager to bring their children home and give them the affection and safety they deserve.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. As your partners in Congress, we look forward to working with you on this issue going forward.

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