[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 164 (Thursday, November 18, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14827-S14828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH HONORS WEST VIRGINIA ADOPTION ANGELS

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I rise today to honor three 
West Virginia individuals who have recently been awarded ``Adoption 
Angel'' awards by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption. Larry and 
Jane Leech and Judge Gary Johnson are truly ``angels'' in adoption.
  President Clinton recently proclaimed November ``National Adoption 
Month''. It is a good time to re-commit ourselves to doing all we can 
to ensure that all children have the opportunity to grow up in safe, 
stable and permanent homes.
  During Adoption Month in 1997, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, a 
bill I sponsored, was signed into law. This act, for the first time 
ever, made children's safety, health and opportunity for loving, stable 
families the paramount factors to consider when planning for children 
in foster care. The act provided incentive bonuses for states 
successful in increasing adoptions.
  My state of West Virginia has made a lot of progress in moving kids 
out of foster care and into permanent homes. When the adoption bonuses 
for 1999 were announced, I was proud that West

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Virginia, because three of our state's children. Brian, Shawn and Sarah 
Keane, had the honor of introducing President Clinton the day the 
bonuses were announced. The 3 Keane children along with 208 more West 
Virginia foster children moved in with their adoptive families in 1998.
  Our State is working hard to increase public awareness of adoption 
and children needing homes. A quarterly newsletter, ``Open Your Heart, 
Open Your Home'' features stories of waiting children and successful 
adoptive families. In May, Dave Thomas came to West Virginia for the 
third annual Foster and Adoptive Parent Recognition Day, to recognize 
adoptive parents who provide homes for children with special needs.
  We have been able to make this progress largely as a result of the 
efforts of the individuals who were honored by the Congressional 
Coalition on Adoption, and other dedicated and hard-working West 
Virginians like them. Let me tell you a little about these ``angels''.
  Larry and Jane Leech have been foster parents for many years, opening 
their home and their hearts to children in need of both. Working with 
the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, the Leeches 
adopted a sibling group of three young boys, twins age 4 and an older 
brother, age 6, in 1998. Now, a year later, the Leeches are again in 
the final stages of adopting another sibling group--this time, three 
older girls. Mr. and Mrs. Leech also have three biological children. 
They have a tremendous amount of love and a strong commitment to all 
nine of their children. Recently, the Leeches and their children 
visited the West Virginia Governor's mansion where they were honored by 
First Lady Hovah Underwood, for their commitment to children in need.
  Judge Gary Johnson believes that all children in the foster care 
system deserve permanent homes. As the 28th Judicial circuit judge, 
elected in 1992, Judge Johnson has worked closely with the West 
Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. He meets with them 
quarterly to review problems or identify issues that prevent children 
in West Virginia from achieving permanence in their lives. Judge 
Johnson continually increases his own knowledge of the issues by 
attending conferences on child welfare.
  The progress we have made since the passage of the 1997 Adoption Act 
is significant. Certainly the 211 West Virginia children who found 
families last year, including the six children who now call Larry and 
Jane Leech ``Mom'' and ``Dad'' know that. But over 400 West Virginia 
children are still waiting and hoping to be adopted--over 100,000 
children in our nation are still waiting and hoping to be adopted. Too 
many of these chilldren are growing up in the insecurity of foster 
care. Too many of them are becoming teenagers without a permanent 
family.
  And that is why we need ``National Adoption Month''. We need 
opportunities to honor the angels in adoption like the Leeches and 
Judge Johnson. And we need the opportunity to publicly re-new our 
commitment to ensuring that all children have the opportunity for 
permanent adoptive homes.
  I am pleased to join the other members of the Congressional Coalition 
on Adoption in honoring more than 50 ``Angels of Adoption'' from around 
the country. I am doubly pleased that 3 of these angels are from West 
Virginia. And I pledge to continue to work on legislation that will 
help all of West Virginia's, and America's foster children have the 
opportunity that the Leech children now have, the chance to grow up in 
a permanent, loving family.
  I urge my colleagues to dedicate themselves to this effort as 
well.

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