[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 185 (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8964-H8965]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
             RECOGNIZING NATIONAL ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize November as 
National Adoption Awareness Month.
  According to the Adoption Network, one out of every 25 families in 
the United States has an adopted child. That means adoption has 
directly touched the lives of one-third of the U.S. population.
  Yet, despite the widespread impact of adoption, many more children 
still need a loving home. The average child waits for an adoptive 
family for more than 3 years, and nearly 115,000 children are waiting 
to find their forever home. We can do better.
  Many barriers prevent these children from being placed in loving 
homes. They include the high and often unpredictable cost of adoption, 
and families and birth mothers simply not having enough information 
about the option of adoption.
  To reduce these barriers and help support increased adoption 
placement, I recently introduced the Improving Adoption Outcomes and 
Affordability Act. My legislation provides assistance to State or local 
governments, public and private adoption agencies, faith-based 
organizations, and eligible nonprofits for the purpose of improving 
adoption education, providing prebirth counseling assistance to birth 
mothers choosing adoption, and helping to cover mental health or 
substance abuse treatments to mothers struggling with addiction and 
other personal challenges during pregnancy.
  Not only will this increased education and counseling improve the 
outcome of the adoption for both birth

[[Page H8965]]

mothers and adopting families, but it will also provide more pricing 
stability to the overall fees that families pay during an adoption. 
Adoptions often cost tens of thousands of dollars, which is a financial 
impediment to families making this life-affirming choice. Injecting 
more price predictability into the adoption system may be the help that 
families need when making the decision to adopt.
  Last Congress, bipartisan legislation that I introduced to reduce 
known barriers for foster placement was signed into law. This bill 
builds on that effort to improve adoption outcomes, and we all will 
remain committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to 
grow up in a safe and loving home.


                Recognizing Ann LeTort Elementary School

  Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker I rise today to congratulate the faculty, 
staff, and students of Ann LeTort Elementary School in the Penn Manor 
School District on being recognized as the 2019-2020 National Blue 
Ribbon School.
  Mr. Speaker, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program was founded 
nearly 40 years ago to recognize outstanding public and private 
schools, who are making a difference and exemplify excellence. LeTort 
Elementary was recognized as an Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing 
School.
  I would like to thank Penn Manor superintendent Dr. Michael 
Leichliter, the Penn Manor School Board, and the leadership and 
teachers at Ann LeTort Elementary for working very hard for this 
achievement. We know how a quality education prepares students for 
success throughout the rest of their lives.
  Mr. Speaker, in their application for recognition, school principal 
Mrs. Carly McPherson notes that, ``it is evident how individuals 
throughout the community are vested in the education of every LeTort 
student.''
  Mr. Speaker, I thank and congratulate that community for making a 
difference in the lives of their students and for being recognized as a 
National Blue Ribbon School.

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