The other day one of our boys, Nino, had his 16th birthday. Birthday parties at CSC are always a lot of fun, and his was no exception. There were a lot of smiles that night, and Nino was happy for the attention, the gifts and the recognition. But it was a sad night for him, too. Nino is part of a sibling group of nine that has been with us for almost three years. Recently there have been changes in immigration policies by the United States that ages kids like Nino out of adoption when they turn 16. Formerly, children up to 18 years old could be included if they had younger siblings who were less than 16. This change took us all by surprise and meant that Nino's dream of having a family some day would not be realized. So, his 16th birthday had a lot of significance for him, for his family and for CSC. That's why there was sadness mixed with the joy.
There is some hope for Nino and others his age who face being excluded for US adoption when they hit 16. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobachar has sponsored a bill that would return the age to 18 for teenagers in Nino's situation.
S.1376 Title: A bill to restore immunization and sibling age exemptions for children adopted by United States citizens under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption to allow their admission to the United States.
You can read more about this bill and follow its progress here. Just write in the bill number (S. 1376), click Bill Number and hit search and it will take you to the bill. This bill would offer a lot of hope to Nino and others in his situation.
1 comment:
Mixed emotions, indeed! Sixteen is such an exciting birthday!! [send my birthday best wishes to Nino for me!] But lace that with the (poorly thought out) policy change and man..
I will pass this message along, and hopefully, bill S.1376 will see the light of day.
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