… for a price! I am such a cynic, but new readers should understand that we have reached a point in this country where groups like the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) are largely funded by the US taxpayer. So, when I see them offering to set up all these services for Haitian kids I see it as just trying to grab a big piece of the “refugee” funding pie for themselves.
The USCCB has written to the State Department and to the Dept. of Health and Human Services offering themselves (and their affiliated agencies) to set up “safe havens” for Haitian kids whose family members have not been located. I suppose there will be some readers wondering if it’s safe to leave kids in the hands of the Bishops!
I do, however, commend them for saying that kids should be kept in Haiti!
Washington D.C., Feb 6, 2010 / 10:26 am (CNA).- As controversy continues to surround the 10 relief volunteers who tried to take Haitian children out of the devastated country without paperwork, the heads of five major Catholic agencies serving earthquake victims have outlined steps to ensure the protection of unaccompanied Haitian children. Their recommendations came in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
The letter was signed by the leaders of Migration and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and the International Catholic Migration Commission.
Citing their own experience in caring for unaccompanied children, they advocated that certain processes be put into place before Haitian children are brought to the U.S. and placed in adoption proceedings.
The Catholic leaders urged the establishment of “safe havens” in Haiti to provide proper care and security for children.
“Such arrangements for the security and material support of these children, who might otherwise be subject to kidnapping and human trafficking, should be the highest priority, and will permit the appropriate screening processes to proceed without delay,” they said.
But, if the kids must come to the US, we can handle that too say the Bishops.
Their letter added that children whose best interest is relocation to the U.S. should be placed in foster care with refugee benefits.
That last part, about refugee benefits, that means that the USCCB is paid by the head to take care of each refugee—a little funding for the refugee and a little for Catholic offices and staff salaries.