Update on Nepal Adoptions in US

Hello, Nepal adoption families and supporters,

I wanted to give you an update on the Congressional Petition and on the Nepal Families/Supporters petition.

• Senator Kerry's Congressional Petition had 19 legislators sign it. It has been presented, and Senator Kerry continues to advocate to the US State Department, and Secretary Clinton, on behalf of the Nepal adoption program.
• The Nepal Families/Supporters petition is currently at 2,702 signatures. If you haven’t had a chance to sign it yet, here is the link: http://www.gopetition.com/online/34404.html. And please forward this link to friends and family members. We really need more signatures.
• The US State Department issued another statement on March 4 saying they were concerned about the Nepal program, and suggesting that prospective adoptive parents who haven’t been matched, change countries.
• We have full support from the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, who are advocating to the US State Department on behalf of the Nepal orphans and American prospective adoptive parents.
• Nepal has issued several more matches to many prospective adoptive parents in the world, around 62, in the last week. This is incredible since they haven’t made any matches since September 2009. I personally know one of these people that received her match—a beautiful 18-month old girl.
• The key people in Nepal that oversee Nepali adoptions - State Minister (head of the department) and the Joint Secretary - are meeting with the US State Department today. Please pray for this meeting. It is an important one. Based on the March 4 statement, the US is still concerned and the Nepal program is still at risk of being suspended.
  

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. They mean everything to us.

Heather