Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of 73 Members of Congress in urging the Biden administration to take immediate action to unite Ukrainian children going through the adoption process with American adoptive or host families.  Senators Collins and King are members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and recently returned from a bipartisan Senate delegation visit to Poland and Germany.

The lawmakers specifically called on the Biden administration to identify the approximately 300 Ukrainian children waiting to join American adoptive or host families and work with the Ukrainian government to find a way forward to allow children with in-process adoptions to travel to stay with host families in the United States instead of requiring these children to remain in other locations for displaced persons in Europe or in Ukraine. In Maine, stories like the two Ukrainian brothers unable to have their adoption finalized with a Maine family have illustrated the struggle of the process being halted due to the Russian attack.

“We write to advocate for immediately uniting American host families with Ukrainian children who are engaged in the adoption process, based on the shared belief that every child deserves a safe, stable, and loving place to call home,” the lawmakers wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “Regardless of where children are within the adoption process, protecting vulnerable children should remain a top priority for Ukraine and the United States.”

“American families seeking to adopt or be host families for a Ukrainian child are eager to welcome these children into their home and provide the affection, stability, and safety all children deserve,” the lawmakers continued. “As you continue to lead the United States’ diplomatic response to the invasion of Ukraine, we request that you raise our concerns regarding these children in institutionalized care to the highest levels of our diplomatic engagement, so that they are prioritized in protection and response measures.”

In addition to Senators Collins and King, the letter was signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), John Thune (R-SD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rob Portman (R-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), John Boozman (R-AR), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bob Casey (D-PA), James Inhofe (R-OK), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Todd Young (R-IN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

The letter was also signed by Representatives Adam Smith (D-WA), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Joseph Morelle (D-NY), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Angie Craig (D-MN), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), William Timmons (R-SC), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Kevin Brady (R-TX), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Chris Stewart (R-UT), Suzan DelBene (D-OR), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Barry Moore (R-AL), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Bob Good (R-VA), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Mike Johnson (R-LA), Rick Allen (R-GA), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Blake Moore (R-UT), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), and Mike Kelly (R-PA).

The full letter is available HERE.