Where Is My Child's Social Security Card?????

The following question was posed on behalf of Hopscotch, by National Council for Adoption's, Constituent Services, Wayne Allgaier, during the August 26th Department Of State's Quarterly Stakeholders' Meeting. We greatly appreciate NCFA's willingness to bring matters to our DOS that would otherwise have remained unanswered. 

Hopscotch asked: "The DS-230 form has a section (43) on page 4 that allows the parents to request a social security card on behalf of their adopted child and it clearly states that the card will be subsequently mailed to them by checking 'yes'. All of our families, for years, have checked the 'yes' and none have ever received the cards without having to personally visit the social security office and presenting documentation (which varies office to office) to obtain the card. Most families wait many months assuming the card is just taking time to process, but ultimately it never comes. We have inquired with each consul section of all the programs we work with and have never had a response. Are you able to see if this is a defunct section that has mistakenly been left on the form or alert the departments involved that there is a disconnect?"

DOS Response: "We appreciate the feedback from adopting parents regarding the visa application form. According to the Social Security Administration, parents must initiate the process of obtaining a Social Security Card for their child by answering yes to the related question on the DS-230 or DS-260 form. (Note: The DS-260 is the fully integrated online electronic visa application form for immigrant visas. This form replaces the DS-230.) Please visit the Social Security Administration website for more information. We regret to learn that many parents do not receive their Social Security card after being admitted to the United States with their adopted children. We will contact the Social Security Administration to alert the agency."