Joaquin Castro: “First of all, I thank Mr. Collins and Mr. Langevin for their hard work on this bill that would help ease some of the…”

“First of all, I thank Mr. Collins and Mr. Langevin for their hard work on this bill that would help ease some of the problems parents face when they are trying to adopt children from other countries. Madam Speaker, the process of adopting a child is a tough one, especially when that child is overseas. It is expensive and often emotionally taxing for the parents. It is filled with legal twists and turns and often difficult requirements, but it is worth it for these loving parents who want to give children from faraway places a home and the chance to be part of a family and a good future. What can make this process even more daunting is when foreign governments change their laws without any sort of notice or explanation. For parents who have to deal with this, it is like having the rug pulled out from under them. In 2018, the number of intercountry adoptions to the United States declined by roughly 600. We saw a similar decline the year before. Part of the reason is that China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo changed their policies, for example. I can't imagine the frustration and anxiety of parents who learned their adoption has been delayed or derailed. This bill helps to make things easier on those families. It would require the State Department to stay up to date on laws and policies dealing with intercountry adoptions and make sure American families get that information.…”