III 109th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 547 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES August 2, 2006 Ms. Landrieu (for herself and Mr. Craig) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance November 16, 2006 Committee discharged; considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Recognizing and supporting the success of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 in increasing adoption, observing the efforts that the Act has spurred, including National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month, and encouraging citizens of the United States to consider adoption throughout the year.

Whereas, since the passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (42 U.S.C. 1305 note; Public Law 105–89), the number of children adopted from the foster care system has increased significantly, with approximately 51,000 children adopted from the foster care system in fiscal year 2004 alone; Whereas, despite that remarkable progress, approximately 118,000 children in the foster care system of the United States are waiting to be adopted, and 49 percent of those children are at least 9 years old; Whereas adoptive families make an important difference in the lives of the children they adopt by providing a stable, nurturing environment for those children; Whereas National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to find permanent, loving families for children in the foster care system; Whereas both National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month occur in November; Whereas, in 2002, the Department of Health and Human Services launched a series of public service announcements promoting the adoption of children aged 8 and older; Whereas more than 6,000 children have been placed into adoptive homes since the Department of Health and Human Services launched www.adoptuskids.org, a national photo listing service for children awaiting adoption across the United States; Whereas, in 2005, judges, attorneys, adoption professionals, child welfare agencies, and child advocates in 45 States and the District of Columbia participated in 227 events in conjunction with National Adoption Day; and Whereas those events finalized the adoptions of more than 3,300 children from the foster care system: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)recognizes and supports— (A)the success of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (42 U.S.C. 1305 note; Public Law 105–89) and the efforts that the Act has spurred; and (B)the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month; and (2)encourages the citizens of the United States to consider adoption throughout the year.