[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 140 (Thursday, October 1, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING MARSHALL AND MARJORIE BARLOW

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 30, 2009

  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 
Marshall and Marjorie Barlow for being selected for the 2009 Angels in 
Adoption Award. This award is to honor the tremendous and selfless work 
of two of my constituents that has enriched the lives of foster 
children and orphans. I believe the Barlow family is truly deserving of 
this high honor and I want to commend them for their service to our 
community.
  According to most recent data from the Department of Health and Human 
Services, in 2006, 79,000 children were taken away from their parents 
in the court systems but only 51,000 were adopted. According to the 
same data, in 2006, there were a total of 510,000 children in the U.S. 
foster care system that needed a safe environment to live. These 
startling facts demonstrate that foster care families, like the 
Barlows, are so tremendously important for helping and preserving our 
nation's most valuable investment for the future, our children.
  Marshall and Marjorie have gone consistently above and beyond the 
call of duty by taking on a rather specialized role in the foster care 
system. In addition to over 400 children who have entered their doors, 
the Barlow family serves as an assessment family. Assessment families 
are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in order to ensure that a 
potential adopting family meets the requirements for providing a safe 
and caring environment for the children.
  The Barlow family also shows their deep and personal dedication to 
the foster care system through many different aspects of their own 
lives. For example, their household contains what they call a ``virtual 
store,'' a collection of clothes, toys, and care items for children of 
all ages. Another example of their generosity is when Marjorie and 
Marshall, already parents of three, opened their family to one of their 
foster children. The first young woman that they took in was pregnant 
and they helped her give birth to the first child that they adopted 
into their own family, Taliyah.
  Marshall and Marjorie Barlow are truly deserving of this honor and 
recognition for their dedication to such a noble cause. The Barlow 
family is a true inspiration to us for touching the lives of so many 
children that desperately need our help.

                          ____________________