Legislation to ensure safe, permanent, and nurturing families for all children, by preserving, reunifying and

creating families.

In 2014

WHAT’S WRONG?Globally, the number of children without families increases every day.

Children have a right to be loved, to grow up in a family, their biological family or another one, in their country, or somewhere else.

Families, all over the world, are out there with open homes and open hearts, wanting to take them in.

We are failing the children.

SCIENCE PROVES THE DAMAGE

Scientific studies prove that children’s brains don’t develop properly without consistent parental care and connection.

Children who cannot bond with a parental figure during the first years of life experience toxic stress which often leads to profound, permanent damage.

Children without families experience toxic stress which often leads to permanent damage!!

SCIENCE PROVES THE DAMAGE

• Reduced brain activity

• Reduced IQ • Smaller brain• Mental health

problems • Inability to attach• Difficulty earning a

living

SOME RECOVERY POSSIBLE

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

 

A PICTURE OF THE NEUROLOGICAL IMPACT ON A CHILD’S BRAIN FROM INSTITUTIONALIZATION

THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM

NO RELIABLE DATA AVAILABLE BECAUSE

NO ONE COUNTS.

No one knows how many children live without families:

• In institutions, • On the streets, • In refugee camps, • As asylum seekers or stateless

people…

BUT INDICATORS SHOW NEED ON THE RISE

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20130

2,000,0004,000,0006,000,0008,000,000

10,000,00012,000,00014,000,00016,000,00018,000,000

Double Orphans Reported by UNICEF

Note: Double orphans counted here are children whose parents are both dead. BUT, these figures do not include children in institutions, street children, refugee or asylee or stateless children.

MEANWHILE, ADOPTIONS TO U.S. FALLING

YEAR AFTER YEAR

This is a symptom of a much larger problem. International adoption isn’t THE answer. It’s one answer among many. But we are failing at using all of them and a generation of children is being destroyed…

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,00021,467 21,654

22,991 22,734

20,68019,608

17,456

12,74411,058

9,319 8,668

THE SEEDS OF CHANGE

NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON CHILDREN IN ADVERSITY

Strong Beginnings

Families First

Freedom from

violence, exploitation

National Action Plan Objectives

USG ACTION PLAN FOR CHILDREN IN ADVERSITY

Strong BeginningsFamily First Freedom from violence,

abuse, exploitation

Save The Children

CARE

PLAN Int

1,000 Days

Child Fund

World Vision

Amensty Int.

USAIDGen Dev

USAIDNRM

USAIDOFDA

USAIDPRH

USAIDOHA

USAIDHIDN

USAIDFFP

USAIDOAPA

USAIDME

USAIDEGATUSAID

DCOF

USAIDLAC

USAIDE&E

USAIDASIA

USAIDAFRPEACE

CORPGH/HIV

DOSTIP

DOSPRM

DOSIO

DOSDRL

DOSCI

DOSAF

LABORILAB

HHSNIHHHS

HRSA

HHSHRSA

HHSCDCDEFENSE

OSD/PSODEFENSEDHAPP

AGRICULTUREFAS

DHSUSCIS

UNICEF

Save The Children

World Vision

UNICEFChild

Protection

THE PROBLEMU.S. foreign policy implementation doesn’t further the core American value that children belong in families -- biological or adoptive. Families are the bedrock of any society, yet:

• The number of children without families is rising.

• The USG doesn’t focus sufficient resources on identifying children living without families and finding them families.

• The USG doesn’t facilitate international adoption. It impedes it.

CHILDREN IN FAMILIES FIRST(CHIFF)

Addresses the problems by:1.Supporting the implementation of the 2012

ACTION PLAN ON CHILDREN IN ADVERSITY: A Framework for International Assistance, with particular focus on objective two – Families First.

2.Realigning and expanding the roles the U.S. Government plays in international adoption, so that this tool of protection for children living without families can be revitalized.

WHAT CHIFF DOES

Family Preservation

Family Reunification

Domestic Adoption

International Adoption

Millions of children living without families.

In orphanages or other institutions

As street children

As refugees

As statelesspeople

Weak G

overnment Child W

elfare System

s

Counting

Prioritizing

Registering

FindingSolutions

Where this legislation will help

LACK OF

DATA

HOW CHIFF DOES IT• NEW THINGS

• New organization with expanded mandate within the Department of State focused on International Child Welfare.

• New, interagency, annual reporting requirement on children without families.

• New Center for Excellence on Children in Adversity and associated spending authority to jump-start implementation the National Action Plan, with special emphasis on objective two – Families First.

HOW CHIFF DOES IT• CHANGED THINGS• Streamlines and realigns international

adoption processing and procedures as follows:

• DOS -- Diplomatic leadership, engagements, and programming, integrating the priority of permanence for children

• USAID -- Child welfare development programming integrating the priority of permanence for children

• USCIS -- All case processing in international adoptions up to the immigrant visa, streamlined and simplified procedures, accreditation of U.S. adoption service providers

WHAT CHIFF ACHIEVES• U.S. leadership on our core value of families first• Improved child welfare systems around the

world• Timely and better protection for children

through• Family preservation• Family reunification• Domestic and Kinship adoption• International adoption

• Fewer children in institutions or on the streets• Revitalized international adoptions to the U.S.