Landrieu Presses for Need of Haitian Orphans

Senator Landrieu called for short-term and long-term efforts to help Haitian orphans during a bipartisan press conference this morning on Capitol Hill. Sen. Landrieu also re-emphasized the need for federal agencies to develop a coordinated strategic plan to bring relief to these orphans.

In the short-term, Sen. Landrieu is seeking to ensure that all orphan children, whether they were orphans before or because of the quake, are safe and receiving humanitarian assistance. Sen. Landrieu also urged federal agencies to step up to ensure that the approximately 900 Haitian children who were in the process of being adopted by U.S. citizens are safely and swiftly evacuated to the U.S. and reunited with their prospective adoptive families.

Sen. Landrieu also wants to make sure that the U.S. and the international community look beyond the immediate aftermath of this disaster and focus on providing for the long-term safety and well being of all orphaned children in Haiti. In order to achieve that goal, the U.S. needs to provide the Haitian government with resources and support to address the needs of providing children with permanent families.

To bolster that effort, Sen. Landrieu is urging her colleagues to pass the Families for Orphans Act (S.1458). The bill establishes the Office of Orphan Policy, Development and Diplomacy, with the sole purpose of promoting and supporting the preservation and reunification of families and providing permanent homes for orphans.

Sen. Landrieu was joined by Sens. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

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News & Politics

Tags:

• Senator Mary Landrieu
• orphans
• adoption
• Haiti
• disaster recovery
• Senator Kit Bond
• Senator Chuck Grassley
• Senator Amy Klobuchar
• Senator Frank Lautenberg
• Senator Bill Nelson
• Senator Debbie Stabenow