New Hampshire Residents Honored As Congressional Angels in Adoption
NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENTS HONORED AS CONGRESSIONAL ANGELS IN ADOPTION
Washington, D.C.) - Allyson Schaaf of Stratham and Carla Boudreau of Milford were recently selected by First District Congressman Jeb Bradley to be two of 165 Congressional Angels in Adoption for the year 2004 honored at a national ceremony held in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, September 23, 2004 by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI).
CCAI is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to raising congressional and public awareness about the tens of thousands of foster children in this country and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe, and loving homes; and to eliminating the barriers that hinder these children from realizing their need of a family. The Angels in Adoption program was created in 1999 to raise public awareness of the many different ways that committed individuals can help children and families through adoption.
Each year, CCAI invites all members of the United States Congress to participate in the Angels in Adoption program as it is a unique opportunity for federal legislators to recognize individuals from their home states that have improved the lives of children through adoption. For Bradley, the choice of Allyson and Carla was an easy one, as he has spent several months assisting them in their fight to finally be united with their adopted daughters. The following is an excerpt from Bradley's nomination describing Allyson and Carla's plight:
When Allyson Schaaf and her husband Michael adopted a Romanian orphan, Iain, four years ago, they had no idea of the struggle they would face when they decided to adopt another Romanian orphan, Natasha, in 2002.
After completing all of the necessary paperwork to adopt Natasha, the Schaafs ran into a mass of red tape, which culminated in passage of a new Romanian adoption law. The law states that Romanian children can only be adopted by foreigners if they are their grandparents and a search for Romanian adoptive families has failed. This measure was recently signed into law by the Romanian President, and is set to become effective January 1, 2005. Because of the new law, the Schaafs and approximately 250 other American families who have been previously assigned Romanian orphans for adoption have not been able to be united with their new children. One of those families, the Boudreaus, face a situation very similar to the Schaafs. Carla and Todd Boudreau adopted Hunter, a Romanian orphan, in December of 2002. After completing all of the paperwork to adopt another Romanian orphan, Alexandra, they find themselves unable to be united with their new daughter because of the recently-passed law.
Rather than wait for a solution to the problem to present itself, Allyson and Carla have taken matters into their own hands. Using their fierce determination to be united with their daughters who still sit in a Romanian orphanage waiting to come to the United States, Allyson and Carla have helped bring the Romanian adoption issue to national prominence.
Traveling back and forth from New Hampshire to Washington, D.C., Allyson and Carla have held meetings with the State Department, the Romanian Ambassador to the United States, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Romania's Prime Minister to highlight the current situation. In addition, they have helped develop a network of families who are also being affected by the new adoption law. Thanks largely to their efforts, President Bush has intervened on the issue, and there is a renewed hope that Romanian and U.S. officials can work together for a solution to this problem before it is too late.
Boudreau and Schaaf made the following comments upon being notified of their selection:
"It is a great honor to have been nominated by Congressman Bradley and selected by the Congressional Coalition for the Angels in Adoption award," said Boudreau. "My greatest honor, however, is to be a mother to my little boy and pending daughter from Romania. We will gladly accept our awards on Thursday, with our full gratitude to those who help and support us through our challenges-family, friends and Congressman Jeb Bradley and his entire staff."
"Volunteerism led me to the road of adoption and motherhood," said Schaaf. "Thanks to Elaine Yourtee and Windham-based Nobody's Children, I am a proud mom to four-year-old Iain. Congressman Bradley is a strong advocate for children and has been instrumental in helping me as our families wait to bring our sons and daughters home from Romania."