[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 153 (Thursday, November 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S13154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge National 
Adoption Day on November 19, 2005. With over 118,000 children available 
for adoption out of the U.S. foster care system, I think it is crucial 
to celebrate those lawyers, social workers, officials, and, most 
importantly, parents who help get many children out of foster homes 
into adoptive families.
  National Adoption Day was started in 2000 by the Alliance for 
Children's Rights, the Freddie Mac Foundation, and the Dave Thomas 
Foundation for Adoption and helped complete foster care adoptions in 
nine jurisdictions. National Adoption Day continued to grow and in 2001 
completed adoptions in 17 jurisdictions. In 2002, the Casey Family 
Services, Children's Action Network, the Congressional Coalition on 
Adoption Institute and Target became National Adoption Day partners and 
helped 34 cities across the country finalize 1,350 adoptions. In 2003, 
3,100 adoptions were completed. National Adoption Day 2004 was the 
biggest celebration to date, finalizing the adoptions of more than 
3,400 children from foster care. It seems quite appropriate that as we 
celebrate Thanksgiving, we also celebrate the formation of new families 
through adoption.
  As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption, I 
am committed to assisting children in the United States to find stable, 
loving and permanent homes. Additionally, I support the goals of 
National Adoption Day to encourage others to adopt children from foster 
care, to build stronger ties between local adoption agencies, courts, 
and adoption advocacy organizations, and to continue to research and 
learn more about families wanting to adopt and the children waiting to 
be adopted.
  I am also proud that Members of the Senate continue to support ways 
to make adoption easier and more affordable. Since the cost of adoption 
can be very high, we ought to do what we can to lessen this initial 
burden for the exceptional people who provide caring homes for 
children. Adoption proceedings and legal fees for some domestic 
adoptions can cost more than $40,000. To ease some of this burden, 
Congress adopted a $10,000 tax credit for adoption expenses. If we ask 
individuals to care for and adopt children, we must provide some relief 
from the financial burdens associated with that care. The adoption tax 
credit is an effective vehicle to provide this relief.
  The commitment of adoptive parents in South Dakota and throughout our 
country to provide children with safe, permanent, and loving homes 
will, of course, have a positive impact on their lives. As we celebrate 
National Adoption Day on November 19, 2005, I call on my colleagues to 
continue supporting efforts to make adoption easier for parents, 
children and other important players in the adoption process.

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