Press Releases

As Russian President Putin continues his reckless war in Ukraine, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) is urging President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken to take immediate action to provide for the safety and security of Ukrainian orphans who are in the adoption process or have previously been hosted by American families.

In the two letters, DelBene and bipartisan groups of colleagues call on the State Department to work with the Ukrainian government and relevant authorities to allow these children to travel to the U.S. and stay with their intended adoptive families or former host families while waiting for the formal adoption process to continue.

“As the war in Ukraine rages on, there are hundreds of loving families in the U.S. desperate to provide safe homes for the Ukrainian children they intend to adopt or who they have hosted in the past,” said DelBene. “One of these families in the middle of the adoption process is the Page family of Snohomish, Washington. As a mother, I can only imagine the toll of the past month on the Page family. The U.S. must work with the Ukrainian government to prioritize the security and well-being of these children. There is no better place for these kids than with families, who already know and love them.”

The letters both outline actions that the State Department can take:

• Work closely with Ukrainian authorities to quickly identify these children and ensure they have the requisite authorizations to travel to the U.S.
• Grant Ukrainian orphans new visas to return to the United States to stay with their intended adoptive families or former host families.
• Establish a liaison to closely coordinate with these families.
• Continue to work with Ukrainian authorities to find ways to expedite the international adoption process without compromising critical safety measures, including protections that combat human trafficking.

You can read the letters here and here.