BULLETIN from the Land of a Gazillion Adoptees! Contact the Congressional Coalition Today!

Just received this bulletin from Kevin Ost-Vollmers, the Land of a Thousand Adoptees, regarding the bureaucratic silencing of of adoptees and first parents by the US Senate Foreign Relations/Congressional Coalition for Adoption Institute.

Of course, none of this should be surprising. Adopted people and their first parents–the alleged beneficiaries of adoption policy, laws, and international agreements– don’t count. From past experience it takes a crowbar to break into federal and state) adoption roundtables, hearings, and inquiries unless you are an adoption agency or represent an adoptive parent organization–and usually the latter aren’t even welcome.

I am shooting off a short email to Kathleen Strottman right now and will post it later today.

In the meantime, read Kevin’s alert and send Strottman an email. Adoptees are not silent pawns. We won’t shut up.

Thursday, February 16th the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and CCAI will host a roundtable on intercountry adoption. The voices of adoptees and first parents will not be at the table or solicited.

Update: The initial post said February 14th. The roundtable will be help on February 16th.

It has come to the attention of Land of Gazillion Adoptees that the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), along with the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will be hosting a roundtable discussion on intercountry adoption on Thursday, February 16th at 5:00 pm. In attendance will be individuals from a variety of organizations, such as JCICS, UNICEF, The Hague, PEAR, Ethica, and Holt International.

Two surveys, the results of which will be used at the roundtable, are currently being circulated.

. . . . .

Dear reader, please take note whom CCAI and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee HAVE NOT invited to the table. On top of that, where are the surveys for adoptees and first parents? Aren’t adoptees and first parents stakeholders in the process?

Want to voice your opinion? Please contact Kathleen Strottman ([email protected]) of CCAI and let her know how disappointed you are.

3 Replies to “BULLETIN from the Land of a Gazillion Adoptees! Contact the Congressional Coalition Today!”

Done, and done!
Thanks for the head’s up!

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Thanks, Sandy It’s always interesting how the producers and product don[t count. We’re kinda like hotdogs and slave labor.

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I sent an email! I stated I was both an international adoptive parent AND a member of PEAR. Who is disgusted that neither first families nor adoptees were asked to join the “roundtable” discussion”.

Elizabeth Case

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