[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 137 (Wednesday, October 1, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12271-S12272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ANGELS IN ADOPTION

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, last night the Senator from Idaho, Mr. 
Craig, and I were pleased to host, as cochairs of the Congressional 
Coalition on Adoption--with two of our colleagues from the House, 
Congressman Oberstar and Congressman Camp, and with the help of over 70 
congressional offices--a celebration of the fifth annual Angels in 
Adoption Campaign.
  I wanted to take a few minutes to speak about what a wonderful 
evening it was. Last night there were angels surrounded by stars on 
Pennsylvania Avenue as we celebrated and honored 165 individuals from 
48 States for their work on behalf of children. Seventy Members of 
Congress and a total of almost 1,000 individuals were there as we 
awarded the national awards to Mohammad and Lanni Ali, who appeared in 
person. He is challenged with his physical abilities right now so we 
were so pleased to have him. Bruce Willis, who is the national 
spokesperson for foster care children, as asked by President Bush, was 
also with us.
  The Angels in Adoption Campaign is a very powerful way of celebrating 
the miracle of adoption. We do work right on the Senate floor, through 
all of our work individually and collectively, to make the dream of 
adoption possible for so many children in the United States, as well as 
internationally.
  From Louisiana we were pleased to be joined by Beverly Lewis of 
Alexandria. She was nominated and received an award because she, as a 
single mother but with a wonderful career, adopted three children from 
Russia and is now fostering an 8-year-old girl. Pam Bolke of Baker was 
nominated by my colleague, Senator Breaux. After reading a newspaper 
article about two young girls who had been abused, she and her husband 
stepped up and adopted the two little girls. Although they were filled 
with rage, they are now growing to be beautiful, loving little girls 
because they have unconditional love.
  Louise Bourne of Lafayette was nominated by Chris John from our 
State. And I will submit the details of that for the Record. And Karen 
Caldwell of New Orleans, who was nominated by Congressman David Vitter, 
joined us last night.
  As you can see, we had from the State of Maine many individuals, and 
from almost every State in the Union, because the Senators in this 
Chamber took it upon themselves--the Senator from Nevada joined us; 
Senator Bill Frist from Tennessee was with us--to seek out someone in 
their State, ordinary individuals but doing extraordinary work. Truly 
it was a wonderful evening to celebrate.
  I will submit for the Record all of the angels, 165 individuals from 
48 States, who were honored. They all received, besides a standing 
ovation from all of us, the beautiful angels pin I am wearing today and 
went home inspired and encouraged to do more for adoption.
  It is an area on which we can agree, Democrats and Republicans. There 
is little disagreement among us on this issue. We have thousands of 
children in the United States waiting to be adopted, children whose 
rights have been terminated or the parental rights have been 
terminated. We have waiting in the United States over 100,000 children 
of all ages. I will submit those numbers for the Record.
  I see my colleague from Idaho, Senator Craig. I thank him publicly 
for all of his leadership and the great work he did to make last night 
and the work that our coalition does truly bipartisan and truly 
effective.

  Mr. CRAIG. Will the Senator yield?
  Ms. LANDRIEU. I will.
  Mr. CRAIG. Let me thank my colleague from Louisiana. She and I have 
worked so very closely together over the last several years to move the 
issue of adoption and the development of the congressional coalition 
and now the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. All that she 
says about last evening is so true. It was a gala event, well beyond 
our expectations, when we started this whole effort a good number of 
years ago. Tonight, let me challenge every Senator who has not yet 
participated with us in the congressional coalition itself and in the 
institute to come on board and to be a part of what is truly a 
wonderful and worthwhile activity. Both Mary and I are adoptive 
parents, and we know what that has meant in our lives.
  Now to facilitate the smoothing out of public policy, to make 
adoption

[[Page S12272]]

truly an option of the right form in taking children into loving and 
caring and safe environments to grow and to mature into sound adults is 
a role all of us ought to be a part of. If you cannot do it as actively 
as both Mary and I do, then you should be with us in spirit and 
legislation and participation but help us to grow this marvelous 
movement.
  Last night, with nearly 1,000 people and with the Alis and with Bruce 
Willis and a good many others, we were very pleased to honor these 
angels from across the country who Mary has so aptly described as 
caring, giving, and loving people.
  I thank the Senator for yielding and for her great work in this area.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. We look forward to a great year.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to print in the Record the 
following information which I referenced in my remarks.
       There being no objection, the material was ordered to be 
     printed in the Record, as follows:

                        Angels in Adoption 2003

       Alabama: LaGretta Ratliff, Philip and Gina Richards.
       Arizona: Joanne Karolzak, Peter and Pat Likens, David and 
     Diana Lucas, Lance and Barb Trella.
       Arkansas: Jan Scholl, Lisenne Rockefeller.
       California: Jesse and Linda Barela, Cecil and Pamela Ellis, 
     Audrey Foster, Reverend Paul and Linda Hoyt, Karen Lane, 
     Susan Lobo, Dave and Debbe Magnusen, Dr. David Sanders, 
     Shasta County Adoptions Program, Ed and Judy Shrader, Sierra 
     Adoptions Services, Karen Ullman.
       Kim Matsunaga, Joshua and Lily Nie.
       Connecticut: Anthony and Jacquelyn Barrows, Angel Torres.
       District of Columbia: Linda Clausen.
       Florida: Susana Huaman Dragosavac, Family Services of 
     Central Florida, Foster Children's Project Legal Aid Society 
     of PBC, Inc., A.J. and Susan Fremer, Marilys Llanos, Bill and 
     Patricia Manning, James and Betsy Seifert.
       Georgia: Truett Cathy, Amanda Davis, James Outman, Joe 
     Woods.
       Hawaii: Steven and Renee Saito.
       Idaho: Meri Brennan, Jay and Sally Hilderbrandt, John and 
     Denise Martin.
       Illinois: Adoption Information Center of Illinois, Dan and 
     Lynn Dempsey, Ben and Sherna Jennings, Sherri Nestmann, Cyndi 
     Norton, Gary and Marla Ringger.
       Indiana: Loving Shepherd International, Owino Wodomony and 
     Dalia Owino, James and Verdell Releford.
       Iowa: Dr. Rebecca Brandt, Ken and Char Kuhns, Terri and 
     Bruce Lippert.
       Kansas: Allan Hazlett, Chuck and Ann Vanasse.
       Kentucky: James and Judith Green, Saint Joseph Children's 
     Home.
       Luoisiana: Pam Bolke, Louise Bourne, Karen Caldwell, 
     Beverly Lewis.
       Maine: Jennifer Sylvester.
       Maryland: Kim and Carol Cormany, Barbara Ann Dorsey, Susan 
     Faro, Mark McDermott.
       Massachsetts: Loretta Cahill in memoriam, Nancy Hendrie, 
     Margaret O'Grady, Craig and Jane Pixley, Robert and Shirley 
     Siff, Carolyn Smith, Kathleen Teahan.
       Michigan: Charlie and Jerry Brown, Jaclyn Hope Champnella, 
     Linda Cromartie, Sandra Jones, Kevin and Mary Julien, Paul 
     and Sherry Petroelje, Alan and Kristine Yeadon.
       Minnesota: Becky and Gladys Abbott, Susan Freivalds, Larry 
     and Arlyce Morrell, North American Council on Adoptable 
     Children, Brad and Sandy Powers.
       Mississippi: Nancy and Drew McDowell.
       Missouri: George and Cyrilla Bender, Joan Bystrom, Dean and 
     Sheila Dutton, Randy and Linda Koenig, Laurie Murphy.
       Montana: Claire and Patty Walker.
       Nebraska: Dr. Edward and Sandy Kolb, Patrick and Patrice 
     Lappert, Patrick and Cindy Seitz, Eugene and Cindy Ulmer.
       Nevada: Letha Davies, Steve and Kayleen Fotheringham, Rene 
     Phillips.
       New Jersey: Eileen Crummy, Janet Farrand, Pamela Hasegawa, 
     Monsignor James J. McGovern, Debra Supnick.
       New Mexico; Frank and Donna Payne, Ken and Fran Sullivan.
       New York: Rose Marie Battisti-Bruce, Karen Eckert, Family 
     Focus Adoption Services, New Directions Youth and Family 
     Services, Thomasena Newton, Dr. Natasha Shaginian, Sloane 
     Jacyln Tabisel, Margaret Tomasicchio.
       North Carolina: Raymond and Debbie Abrams, Harriet 
     McCarthy.
       North Dakota: Loralei Klitzke.
       Ohio: Arden and Diana Brooks, Kevin and Wendy Hoodlebrink, 
     Dorothy Klemm, Rita Soronen.
       Oklahoma: Amy Eldridge, David and Kathy Frost, Tom and 
     Jennifer Rudolph.
       Oregon: Susan Cox, Franklin Hunsaker, Portland Metro Korean 
     Lions Club, Deborah Radcliffe.
       Pennsylvania: Jeffrey and Lydia Buck, Maxine Chalker, 
     Susann Hoke, Marjorie McKeone, Myron and Sally Stoltzfus, 
     Kelley Strieb, Three Rivers Adoption Council, Hanna D. 
     Wallace.
       Rhode Island: Chris Cotatgis.
       South Carolina: Hal and Diana Stevenson.
       South Dakota: Harold and Sharon Holder, Jeff and Dori 
     Nelson.
       Tennessee: Dr. Paul Heil, Davis and Sherry Lundy, Claude 
     and Bernadette Whatley, Pamela Wolf.
       Texas: Jean Boyd, Barry and D'Wanna Finkel, Suzanne Faske 
     and Karen Hall, Anna James, Dorothy Le Pere, Lutheran Social 
     Services of the South, Rodney and Renee Nolen, Judge Peter 
     Sakai, Snow Wu.
       Utah: Christena Christensen.
       Vermont: Diane Dexter.
       Virginia: Bethany Christian Services of Fredericksburg, 
     Bethany Christian Services of Hampton Roads, Chris and 
     Christy Craig, Ronald Federici, Mara Kamen, Dr. Patrick 
     Mason.
       West Virginia: Mildred Mairs.
       Wisconsin: Mark and Faith Richter KuFahl.
       Wyoming: Carol Burman Lindly.
       Past Angels in Adoption Award Recipients (1999-2002).
                                  ____


                             Louisiana Data

       Number of children in State custody as of year end by age--
     State fiscal year 03: 0-1, 434; 2-4, 692; 5-9, 929; 10-17, 
     2,252. Total number of children in foster care--4,307. (Note 
     that in the previous State fiscal year the number was 4416.)
       Number of children adopted out of State custody by age--
     State fiscal year 03: 0-1, 34; 2-4, 152; 5-9, 199; 10-17, 
     127. Total number of children adopted out of foster care--
     512. (Note that in the previous State fiscal year the number 
     was 471.)
       Number of children reunited with birth families by age--
     State fiscal year 03: 0-1, 219; 2-4, 326; 5-9, 405; 10-17, 
     664. Total number of children reunited--1614. (Note that in 
     the previous State fiscal year the number was 1,552.)
       Number of children freed for adoption and awaiting 
     placement--State fiscal year 03: 0-1, 26; 2-4, 110; 5-9, 178; 
     10-17, 368. Total waiting children--682. (Note in the 
     previous State fiscal year the total was 868.)

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