Francis Chan's Impassioned Plea - for North Korean Children

UPDATE:  The law has just been passed unanimously.  See the article at:
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/adoption-09122012162556.html

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Friends,

Please visit the following link to help the homeless children in North Korea.

This announcement is by Francis Chan, a pastor who really puts himself in the shoes of escaping orphans from North Korea.  Please respond to his impassioned plea by signing your petition at:  http://www.thinkchildren.org/

Or visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh81-ToZfnY



Sign your petition at http://www.thinkchildren.org/  It is very easy for you to sign.
There are currently 52 co-sponsors in the house who have officially signed on to the bill. It has  bipartisan support and support from high ranking democratic and republican members.

Of the estimated 20,000 refugee children, only a small fraction of them are believed to be adoptable (around 1000). This number could of course go up or down depending on how the law changes. On the plus side, there are around 6,000 American families that said they would be willing to adopt a North Korean orphan.

Here is a link to the exact bill text:  http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.1464:

Here is a brief background in honor of the late Sam Han-Schneider, himself an adoptee.
In 1961, Dr. Arthur Schneider adopted Sam Han-Schneider by means of a private bill S.1100, which allowed, for the first time, a bachelor to adopt and bring a foreign child to the United States. Sam Han-Schneider is the founder of Han-Schneider International Children's Foundation, which provides for orphans in need around the world today.

The North Korean Refugee Adoption Act, if passed, would allow Americans to adopt refugee orphans who have fled the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to neighboring countries such as Mongolia, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. These children are struggling in harsh circumstances, and run the risk of being sent back to DPRK. According to the World Food Program, DPRK faces regular food shortages, and one in three North Korean children under five are chronically malnourished.

Right now, it is extremely difficult to bring refugee children to the United States.  One American family on the east coast is currently working to secure the adoption of two orphaned siblings from DPRK. The adoption process for them could take anywhere from three to 10 years, and approval is not guaranteed. The passage of this Act would reduce the waiting time for families seeking to adopt refugee orphans.

This is not simply an adoption issue, or a Korean American issue. Refugee orphans do not have access to food and clean water, and are vulnerable to human trafficking and deportation. The North Korean Refugee Adoption Act would lessen the burden on parents in the United States who wish to provide a safe and caring home for refugee orphans.

Please vote in favor of the North Korean Refugee Adoption Act (H.R. 1464 and S. 416).

Thank you for your support.