[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 22194]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY

  Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I rise to commemorate National 
Adoption Day.
  As a mother, I understand the joy and the meaning that raising a 
child can bring to one's life. I also understand the importance that a 
stable home can play in a child's development. Each year, National 
Adoption Day offers us all an opportunity to not only reflect on the 
benefits that adoption can bring but also to raise awareness of the 
thousands of children across our Nation who are still awaiting stable, 
nurturing, and loving homes and families.
  Last year, 227 events were held on National Adoption Day in 45 
States. In the process, over 3,000 adoptions were finalized. At 
Saturday's celebration in Hot Springs, AR, and at similar events across 
the country, we all hope to build on that success as hundreds of 
volunteers take time out of their schedules to help place children in 
permanent homes.
  In my State of Arkansas, our judges, courts, and child advocates have 
worked tirelessly on behalf of our State's foster children. In 
consultation with them and in cooperation with my colleagues, I have 
done all I can to ensure our adoption process is as efficient as 
possible. With an estimated 118,000 children across our country in 
foster care and awaiting adoption, I urge my colleagues to continue 
working together on behalf of these children. The opportunity to grow 
up in a nurturing, loving, and stable family is something that none of 
us should take for granted. It is our duty in this Congress to ensure 
that these children are not denied this opportunity but given timely 
placement with the home and the family that each and every one of them 
deserve.
  I would also like to once again express my support and offer my 
heartfelt gratitude not only to the volunteers in Arkansas and across 
the country who make National Adoption Day the success it is but also 
to the selfless men and women who work every day on behalf of America's 
children.

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