[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 193 (Tuesday, November 28, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7357-S7358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I wish to call attention to the 
more than 112,000 foster children in our Nation who are waiting to be 
adopted. Of these, more than 14,000 are in California.
  These are children with no permanent place to call home, who have 
experienced severe neglect or abuse. Through no fault of their own, 
these kids are uprooted from their lives, separated from everything 
they know, and unable to be safely reunited with their biological 
families. Many are moved from home to home with their few belongings in 
a garbage bag.
  These are children who are waiting for a family, wanting to belong, 
and needing our help. Of these children, more than 20,000 age out of 
the foster care system every year without a place to call home. We can 
and must do better.
  What happens to children who age out of the foster care system? They 
are shown the door and expected to suddenly be self-sustaining, 
successful adults. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the majority 
of our foster youth. I say ``our'' because these kids are all of our 
responsibility. They are in every community, and we are failing

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them. For those who age out of the system, 20 percent become homeless. 
Only half are employed by age 24. Seventy percent of young women who 
age out of the system are pregnant by age 21. Less than 3 percent 
complete a college degree. Foster youth are also at higher risk of 
being victims of child sex-trafficking.
  We can do better. Our children deserve better. Every child is meant 
to be in a family. In America, families come in all sorts of wonderful 
shapes and sizes, and every foster child waiting to be adopted deserves 
the love, safety, and support that only a permanent family can provide. 
No child is unadoptable.
  During the month of November, our Nation celebrates National Adoption 
Month, and recognizes the families that have opened their hearts and 
homes to children in need of a family and the joy that adoption brings. 
I encourage anyone interested in building their family through adoption 
to visit www.adoptuskids.org.
 It is also important to recognize the efforts of the volunteers and 
mentors who provide a positive, stable relationship for a child whose 
entire world is changing. In addition, programs that provide 
comprehensive resources--from mental health services to tutoring--help 
foster kids succeed. There may not be a simple solution, but we do know 
what gets us closer. There are programs in California and across the 
Nation that have shown improved permanency rates, nearly universal high 
school graduation rates, and success in college and employment. There 
is hope and not a second to waste.
  As National Adoption Month comes to a close, we must remember our 
foster youth year-round and strive to ensure that each one is connected 
with a permanent, loving home. I look forward to working with my 
colleagues to ensure a better future for foster youth in our Nation.
  Thank you.

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