Local families navigating COVID-19 tensions with China in efforts to bring adopted children home

LEAGUE CITY – A Houston area family is feeling incomplete with their adopted daughter nearly 8,000 miles away in China. Seven-year-old Piper is waiting to come home to the Hendersons of League City. Her pictures already are on the walls. The room she’ll share with sister Maggie is also good-to-go.

But Piper's arrival has been drawn out.

First by COVID-related travel restrictions. Then this week, the White Houston threaten to ban Chinese passengers airlines from flying to the U.S., which made things more uncertain.

On Friday, the Trump administration reversed that decision but the Hendersons still have no firm date on when they can bring their daughter home.

“Seven years is a long time to be without a family,” said Trent Henderson. “We would have her here today if we could. You know? Absolutely.”

And they are just one of nearly 100 families caught in limbo together. With predictions of a possible second wave of coronavirus, they all fear if they don’t get permission soon the separation between them and their children will last indefinitely.

“We don’t want to be caught up in a political storm in the window that we have to bring these kids,” said Ginny Henderson. “These children are in families. They’ve been assigned to these families. These families have done the legal paperwork. They’ve been approved. They just want their kids home.”

In the meantime, the Hendersons pray and seek guidance from the state department and other local officials.

They have a message for Piper.

“'Mom and dad are coming,'” said Trent Henderson. "That’s what I would tell her. 'We’re coming.’”

One of the families’ hopes is a provision that allows Americans to travel to China for humanitarian reasons. They are working with the state department and lawmakers to see if that provision would allow the families to travel to China to bring their children home.


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