[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 538 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 538

 Supporting the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National 
 Adoption Month by promoting 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

                           November 19, 2015

  Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York (for himself, Ms. Sinema, Mr. 
 Takano, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Murphy of Florida, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. DeGette, 
  Mr. Nadler, Mr. Honda, Ms. Brownley of California, Ms. Norton, Mr. 
Schiff, Mr. Grijalva, and Ms. Lee) submitted the following resolution; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National 
 Adoption Month by promoting 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 more than 400,000 children are currently in the foster care system in 
        the United States, and more than 100,000 children in the foster care 
        system are waiting for families to adopt them;
Whereas more than 23,000 young people age out of the foster care system each 
        year before finding a permanent family;
Whereas every day loving and nurturing families are strengthened and expanded 
        when committed and dedicated parents make an important difference in the 
        life of a child through adoption;
Whereas inclusive policies that promote adoption increase the opportunities for 
        loving parents to adopt from within the foster care system;
Whereas 2,000,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are interested 
        in adopting but discriminatory law, policies, and practices are 
        restricting their ability to do so;
Whereas in order to open more homes to foster children, child welfare agencies 
        should work to eliminate sexual orientation, gender identity, and 
        marital status discrimination and bias in adoption and foster care 
        recruitment, selection, and placement procedures;
Whereas professional organizations in the fields of medicine, psychology, law, 
        and child welfare have taken official positions in support of the 
        ability of qualified lesbian, gay, bisexual, and unmarried couples to 
        foster and adopt a child, as supported by scientific research showing 
        sexual orientation as a nondeterminative factor in parental success;
Whereas discrimination against potential foster or adoptive parents based on 
        sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status is not in the 
        best interests of children in the foster care system;
Whereas 71 percent of those parents who have considered adoption consider 
        adopting children from foster care above other forms of adoption;
Whereas National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to find permanent, 
        loving families for children in the foster care system;
Whereas National Adoption Month serves as a way to focus public attention on the 
        urgent need for adoptive families for children and youth waiting in 
        foster care for a permanent family; and
Whereas November 2015 is National Adoption Month and November 21, 2015, is 
        National Adoption Day: 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) encourages the implementation of inclusive adoption 
        policies that allow a growing number of diverse families to 
        adopt; 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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