I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3031 
To encourage the development and implementation of a comprehensive, global 
strategy for the preservation and reunification of families and the provi-
sion of permanent parental care for orphans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 24, 2009 
Ms. WATSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To encourage the development and implementation of a com-
prehensive, global strategy for the preservation and re-
unification of families and the provision of permanent 
parental care for orphans, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Families for Orphans Act of 2009’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
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TITLE I—GLOBAL ORPHANS STRATEGY 
Sec. 101. Office for orphan policy diplomacy and development. 
Sec. 102. Policy coordinating committee in support of orphan policy, diplomacy, 
and development. 
Sec. 103. Minimum standards for the provision of permanent parental care. 
Sec. 104. Grant, pilot, and development programs. 
Sec. 105. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) A child who grows up in a permanent fam-
ily in an atmosphere of happiness, love, and under-
standing has the best opportunity for the full and 
harmonious development of his or her potential. 
(2) The right of a child to grow up in a safe, 
loving and permanent loving relationship with a re-
sponsible adult is a basic human right. 
(3) The safety and well being of children should 
be the paramount concern of child welfare policies 
and programs. 
(4) As stated in the United Nations Programme 
for the International Year of the Family (1994), 
‘‘the family provides the natural framework for the 
emotional, financial, and material support essential 
to the growth and development of its members, par-
ticularly infants and children.’’. 
(5) Cost benefit analysis data shows that effec-
tive, high quality interventions to improve parenting 
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skills and reduce child maltreatment save between 
$2 and $8 dollars for every dollar spent. 
(6) Despite the good efforts of countless gov-
ernments and nongovernmental organizations, mil-
lions of children remain outside of the protection, 
permanency, safety, and love of a family. Without 
the care of a family, these children are forced to live 
on the streets, in child-headed households, or in in-
stitutions. 
(7) According to UNICEF, there are more than 
132,000,000 orphans worldwide. Unless immediate 
action is taken, the number of orphans is expected 
to increase over time. 
(8) According to Dr. Dana Johnson at the Uni-
versity of Minnesota, lack of stimulation and con-
sistent caregivers, suboptimal nutrition and physical/ 
sexual abuse all conspire to delay and sometimes 
preclude normal development, speech acquisition and 
attainment of necessary social skills. Children lose 
one month of linear growth for every three months 
in an orphanage. 
(9) Research indicates that infants who do not 
receive touching, holding, and stimulation fail to 
thrive and may suffer life-affecting physical and 
emotional stressors, if not death. 
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(10) Although governments throughout the 
world are seeking models for preventing institu-
tionalization and finding permanent families for or-
phaned children, many lack the resources or infra-
structure to adequately address this need. 
(11) As a result of its efforts to protect its chil-
dren from abuse and neglect, the United States has 
amassed a vast body of research, policy, and the pro-
fessional capacity to promote safety, permanency 
and well-being for children and youth so they can 
become healthy and successful adults. 
(12) Despite the fact that the United States in-
vests $300,000,000,000 annually in international aid 
programs that are improving the health, safety and 
well-being of children throughout the world, it is un-
clear how much of this funding is used to support 
the preservation and reunification of families or the 
provision of permanent parental care. 
(13) Greater coordination is needed between 
Federal bureaus and agencies with an interest in or-
phan care policy. Such efforts would be assisted 
greatly by the development of a comprehensive glob-
al strategy for providing permanent parental care 
for orphans. 
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(14) Despite the United States’ interest in de-
veloping a comprehensive global strategy for pro-
viding permanent parental care for orphans, the 
United States lacks a clear, dedicated diplomatic au-
thority to represent these interests. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to— 
(1) provide the infrastructure and resources 
necessary for the United States to develop and im-
plement a comprehensive, global strategy for the 
preservation and reunification of families and the 
provision of permanent parental care for orphans; 
(2) streamline and coordinate United States 
policies and programs related to the preservation 
and reunification of families and the provision of 
permanent parental care for orphans; 
(3) encourage and assist foreign governments in 
the development and implementation of effective 
child welfare policies, systems, and programs that 
preserve and reunify families and provide permanent 
parental care for orphans; 
(4) ensure that all aid efforts receiving funding 
from the United States recognize and support the 
need for the preservation and reunification of fami-
lies and the provision of permanent parental care for 
orphans; and 
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(5) build global awareness of the need for the 
preservation and reunification of families and the 
provision of permanent parental care for orphans. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION.—The term ‘‘de-
institutionalization’’ means the process of safely 
moving youth from institutions to— 
(A) permanent parental care; or 
(B) temporary alternatives designed to 
lead to permanent parental care. 
(2) FAMILY
AT
RISK
OF
DISSOLUTION.—The 
term ‘‘family at risk of dissolution’’ means a family 
under circumstances which— 
(A) compromise the health, safety and 
well-being of minor, dependent children to an 
extent that the parental caregivers may be com-
pelled to voluntarily or involuntarily forfeit care 
parental rights or custody of such children; or 
(B) are likely to cause the parents to aban-
don or relinquish rights to minor, dependent 
children. 
(3) FAMILY PRESERVATION.—The term ‘‘family 
preservation’’ means services for children and fami-
lies designed to promote the safety and well-being of 
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children and families and to help families (at risk or 
in crisis, including community-based family support, 
social, therapeutic, and financial programs and serv-
ices designed to— 
(A) enable families to provide safe, perma-
nent, and nurturing care to their children; and 
(B) strengthen and support birth families 
who are at risk of dissolution, separation, or do-
mestic violence. 
(4) REUNIFICATION.—The term ‘‘reunification’’ 
means time-limited services and activities provided 
to an orphan in order to facilitate the safe and time-
ly reunification of the child and parent. 
(5) 
INSTITUTION.—The 
term 
‘‘institution’’ 
means— 
(A) an orphanage; 
(B) a children’s home; 
(C) a boarding school for orphans; 
(D) a shelter; 
(E) a residential facility; 
(F) a hospital; 
(G) a dormitory; 
(H) long-term foster care; and 
(I) any other setting in which permanent 
parental care is not being provided to the child. 
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(6) INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD.—The term ‘‘in-
stitutionalized child’’ is a child who is— 
(A) younger than 21 years of age; and 
(B) living in an institution. 
(7) ORPHAN.—The term ‘‘orphan’’ means any 
child— 
(A) who lacks permanent parental care be-
cause of the death, the disappearance of, or the 
legal, permanent relinquishment of such child 
by both biological parents; 
(B) who is living in the care and custody 
of an institution; 
(C) whose biological parents’ rights have 
been legally terminated; or 
(D) whose country of origin has deter-
mined lacks permanent parental care. 
(8) PERMANENT PARENTAL CARE.—The term 
‘‘permanent parental care’’— 
(A) means a legally recognized relationship 
between a adult and a child who is younger 
than 21 years of age, which is life-long and pro-
vides a caring, safe, stable physical environ-
ment; 
(B) includes— 
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(i) domestic and international adop-
tion; 
(ii) legal guardianship; and 
(iii) legal kinship care; and 
(C) does not include temporary or long 
term foster care, institutionalization, or men-
toring. 
(9) LEGAL
GUARDIANSHIP.—The term ‘‘legal 
guardianship’’ means a legally recognized relation-
ship between child and caretaker which is intended 
to be permanent and is evidenced by the transfer to 
the caretaker of the following parental rights with 
respect to the child: protection, education, custody, 
and decision-making. 
(10) LEGAL
KINSHIP.—The term ‘‘legal kin-
ship’’ means a legally recognized relationship be-
tween child and caretaker which is intended to be 
permanent and is evidenced by the transfer to the 
caretaker of the following parental rights with re-
spect to the child: protection, education, custody, 
and decision-making. 
(11) ADOPTION SUPPORT SERVICES.—The term 
‘‘adoption support services’’ means services and ac-
tivities designed to encourage when adoption is 
found to be in the best interests of children, includ-
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ing but not limited to pre- and post-adoptive serv-
ices; activities designed to expedite the adoption 
process and support adoptive families. 
TITLE I—GLOBAL ORPHANS 
STRATEGY 
SEC. 101. OFFICE FOR ORPHAN POLICY DIPLOMACY AND 
DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 
the Department of State the Office for Orphan Policy Di-
plomacy and Development (referred to in this section as 
the ‘‘Office’’), which shall promote and support— 
(1) the preservation and reunification of fami-
lies; and 
(2) the provision of permanent parental care for 
orphans. 
(b) COORDINATOR.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT.—The Office shall be headed 
by the Coordinator for Orphan Policy Diplomacy 
and Development (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Coordinator’’), who shall be designated by the 
President. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—To the extent possible, 
the Coordinator shall be an individual with back-
ground and experience in the development of perma-
nency related policies and systems. 
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(3) DUTIES.—The Coordinator shall— 
(A) oversee and coordinate— 
(i) all programs and duties described 
in this Act; and 
(ii) all other activities that the United 
States Government conducts in furtherance 
of the purposes of this Act; and 
(B) carry out the functions described in 
subsection (c). 
(4) AUTHORITY.—The Coordinator will report 
directly to the Secretary of State. 
(c) FUNCTIONS.— 
(1) ADVISORY.—Unless otherwise specified in 
law, the Coordinator shall serve as the primary advi-
sor to the Secretary of State and the President in 
all matters related to— 
(A) global family preservation and reunifi-
cation; and 
(B) the provision of permanent parental 
care for orphans. 
(2) DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the direction 
of the President and the Secretary of State, the 
Coordinator shall represent the United States 
in matters and cases relevant to family preser-
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vation and reunification and permanent paren-
tal care in— 
(i) contacts with foreign governments, 
nongovernmental organizations, intergov-
ernmental agencies, and specialized agen-
cies of the United Nations and other inter-
national organizations of which the United 
States is a member; 
(ii) multilateral conferences and meet-
ings relevant to family preservation, reuni-
fication, and permanent parental care for 
orphaned children; and 
(iii) fulfillment of the diplomatic re-
sponsibilities designated to the central au-
thority under title I of the Intercountry 
Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14911 et 
seq.). 
(B) WAIVER.—The Secretary of State may 
waive the requirements of subparagraph (A) 
if— 
(i) representation by the Coordinator 
would interfere with the Secretary’s con-
stitutional duty to represent the United 
States; or 
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