Stephanie Sy:
Ever since, Aimee has been organizing families in the same situation. They have been pleading their case for China to honor the pending adoptions.
In Penelope’s case, it was a promise made with signatures and a stamp of approval from the China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption. The policy change has left more than 270 American families in limbo, unsure of where their adoption journey will lead.
In November, U.S. lawmakers from both parties wrote a letter to President Biden, urging him to act in the best interest of these children and families by urging the PRC to fulfill and uphold the commitment the country has made.
A State Department spokesperson told the “News Hour,” “We deeply sympathize with the families and children” and that it’s engaging with the PRC at high levels to advocate for U.S. families to be able to process their adoptions.
International adoptions in China were once common. During the one child policy, which lasted from 1980 to 2016, families abandoned or were forced to give up children, especially baby girls. Tens of thousands of babies were adopted by American families.
