|
As many of you know, I love children and want every child to have a safe and loving home.
This month is National Adoption Month. With over 13,000 Missouri children in foster care and over 1,200 boys and girls in foster care available for adoption, we must do all we can to encourage couples to open their hearts and homes to give them a forever home.
We also need to encourage adoption as a wonderful alternative to abortion. And, when an adoption is pending, it is important that our laws support the process so the adoption is timely and permanent.
I have introduced legislation with Representative Annie Kuster (D-NH) to expedite that goal. The Permanency for Children Act (HR-3902) has been endorsed by the National Council on Adoption and does the following:
* It streamlines the process for finding absent biological fathers in order to verify their support of the adoption by allowing a single computer search instead of the current system of checking 34 state Responsible Father Registries (RFR);
* It continues the completely voluntary structure of state RFR's, where a father proactively asserts his paternal rights by voluntarily submitting his personal information into the system and asking to be notified if there is a child born as a result of his relationship with the mother;
* It limits access to existing authorized Federal Parent Locator Service users (state agencies, their agents, & certain courts); and
* It requires HHS to study existing RFR's to provide suggestions for improving efficiencies and options for providing all fathers, regardless of state, the ability to proactively protect their paternal rights.
This process ensures adoptions are secure from future interruption and children get to come home sooner. It's a win-win for everyone.
I hope you will join with me in supporting this important piece of legislation.
And, if you have room in your heart and your home for a child, please consider becoming a foster parent or adopting one of these precious children. It is a decision you will never regret.
Onward,
|
