117 HRES 817 IH: Expressing support for the goals of National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day by promoting national awareness of adoption and the children waiting for adoption, celebrating children and families involved in adoption, and encouraging the people of the United States to secure safety, permanency, and well-being for all children. U.S. House of Representatives 2021-11-18 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

117th CONGRESS1st Session

H. RES. 817

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 18, 2021

Mr. Smith of Washington (for himself, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Langevin, Ms. Craig, Ms. Scanlon, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Pocan, Mr. McHenry, Ms. Bass, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Perlmutter, Ms. Barragán, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Moore of Alabama, and Mr. Mullin) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

RESOLUTION

Expressing support for the goals of National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day by promoting national awareness of adoption and the children waiting for adoption, celebrating children and families involved in adoption, and encouraging the people of the United States to secure safety, permanency, and well-being for all children.

Whereas there are far too many children outside of permanent family care and in the United States foster care system, who are waiting to be adopted;Whereas the Children’s Bureau, an office of the Administration for Children and Families within the Department of Health and Human Services, supports programs, research, and monitoring to help eliminate barriers to adoption and find permanent families for children;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 the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19) pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to the United States; the foster care system, including kinship care; prospective adoptive parents; and the children awaiting permanency;Whereas foster care systems, prospective adoptive parents, and the children awaiting permanency have stepped up in brave and inspiring ways in order to meet these challenges;Whereas the President traditionally issues an annual proclamation to declare the month of November to be National Adoption Month, and the President has proclaimed November 2021 to be National Adoption Month;Whereas National Adoption Day has been celebrated as a collective national effort to find permanent and loving families for children in the foster care system; andWhereas the Saturday before Thanksgiving has been recognized as National Adoption Day since at least 2000, and in 2021, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is November 20: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives—(1)supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day;(2)recognizes that every child should have a permanent and loving family; and(3)encourages the people of the United States to consider adoption during the month of November and throughout the year.