[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1432 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1432
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National
Adoption Month by promoting national awareness of adoption and the
children in foster care awaiting families, celebrating children and
families involved in adoption, recognizing current programs and efforts
designed to promote adoption, and encouraging people in the United
States to seek improved safety, permanency, and well-being for all
children.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 15, 2008
Mr. Porter (for himself, Mr. English of Pennsylvania, Mr. Brady of
Texas, and Mr. Camp of Michigan) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National
Adoption Month by promoting national awareness of adoption and the
children in foster care awaiting families, celebrating children and
families involved in adoption, recognizing current programs and efforts
designed to promote adoption, and encouraging people in the United
States to seek improved safety, permanency, and well-being for all
children.
Whereas there are nearly 500,000 children in the foster care system in the
United States, approximately 130,000 of whom are waiting for families to
adopt them;
Whereas nearly 54 percent of the children in foster care are age 10 or younger;
Whereas the average length of time a child spends in foster care is more than 2
years;
Whereas, for many foster children, the wait for a permanent, adoptive,
``forever'' family in which they are loved, nurtured, comforted, and
protected seems endless;
Whereas the number of youth who ``age out'' of the foster care system by
reaching adulthood without being placed in a permanent home has
increased by more than 58 percent since 1998, as nearly 27,000 foster
youth ``aged out'' of foster care during 2007;
Whereas every day loving and nurturing families are strengthened and expanded
when committed and dedicated individuals make an important difference in
the life of a child through adoption;
Whereas, while 3 in 10 people in the United States have considered adoption, a
majority of them have misconceptions about the process of adopting
children from foster care and the children who are eligible for
adoption;
Whereas 71 percent of those who have considered adoption consider adopting
children from foster care above other forms of adoption;
Whereas 45 percent of people in the United States believe that children enter
the foster care system because of juvenile delinquency, when in reality
the vast majority of children in the foster care system were victims of
neglect, abandonment, or abuse;
Whereas 46 percent of people in the United States believe that foster care
adoption is expensive, when in reality there is no substantial cost for
adopting from foster care, and financial support in the form of an
adoption assistance subsidy is available to adoptive families of
eligible children adopted from foster care and continues after the
adoption is finalized until the child is 18, so that income will not be
a barrier to becoming a parent to a foster child who needs to belong to
a family;
Whereas significant tax credits are available to families who adopt children
with special needs;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children
and Families, in a partnership with the Ad Council, supports a national
recruitment campaign for adoptive parents;
Whereas the Collaboration to AdoptUsKids features a photolisting Website for
waiting foster children and prospective adoptive families at
www.adoptuskids.org, and in Spanish at www.adopte1.org;
Whereas National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to find permanent,
loving families for children in the foster care system;
Whereas, since the first National Adoption Day in 2000, 20,000 children have
joined forever families during National Adoption Day;
Whereas in 2006, adoptions were finalized for over 3,300 children through more
than 250 National Adoption Day events in all 50 States, the District of
Columbia, and Puerto Rico;
Whereas National Adoption Month celebrates the gift of adoption, recognizing the
adoptive and foster families who share their hearts and homes with
children in need, and raises awareness of the need for families for the
many waiting children, particularly older children and teens, children
of color, members of sibling groups, and children with physical and
emotional challenges; and
Whereas November 2008 is National Adoption Month, and November 15, 2008, is
National Adoption Day, and activities and information about both are
available at www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/nam/activities.cfm: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day
and National Adoption Month;
(2) recognizes that every child in foster care deserves a
permanent and loving family;
(3) recognizes the significant commitment of taxpayers to
support adoption, including the $1,900,000,000 provided to
support adoption through the Title IV-E Adoption Assistance
program, as well as the assistance provided through the Title
IV-E Foster Care program to 130,000 children waiting for
adoptive families, among other important programs; and
(4) encourages the citizens of the United States to
consider adoption of children in foster care who are waiting
for a permanent, loving family.
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