Indy helps Haiti

Orphan Update from CCUSA January 27, 2010

Listened to the White House Call.  Although there is no substantial change to information previously provided by the Departments of Homeland Security, State and Health and Human Services, additional information about efforts of USAID and its partners to protect children in Haiti was provided:

• USAID has developed a major initiative entitled “Operation Protect Children” to provide immediate and long-range response to the crisis of unaccompanied children in Haiti with the ultimate goal of assisting the Haitian government to repair and strengthen its child welfare system
• An NGO sub-cluster headed by UNICEF has been set up to assure the safety and subsistence of children
• UNICEF has set up interim care centers for unaccompanied children throughout the country in which 40,000 children have already been seen
• The International Red Cross and Haitian Red Cross have set up an in-country helpline to connect unaccompanied children to their parents or extended family members
• The Haitian government has dispatched 20 child protection brigades to the airport and borders to protect against child trafficking

The one question that they were unprepared to address is whether/how Haitian immigrants in the U.S. might be able to foster or adopt their child relatives known to be without other in-country family members.  Department of State said they have not yet developed a process to facilitate that situation.

Jean Beil

Senior Vice President

Programs & Services

Catholic Charities USA

Sixty-Six Canal Center Plaza

Suite 600

Alexandria, VA 22314

Direct: 703-236-6229

Fax:  703-549-4183