[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 831 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 831

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                      October 28, 2009.
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 60 percent since 1998, as nearly 28,000 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, 25,000 children have 
        joined forever families during National Adoption Day;
Whereas in 2008, adoptions were finalized for over 4,600 children through more 
        than 325 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 2009 is National Adoption Month, and November 21, 2009, 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.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.