[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 22815]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 291--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE GOALS OF NATIONAL 
    ADOPTION DAY AND NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH BY PROMOTING NATIONAL 
 AWARENESS OF ADOPTION AND THE CHILDREN AWAITING FAMILIES, CELEBRATING 
 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES INVOLVED IN ADOPTION, AND ENCOURAGING AMERICANS 
     TO SECURE SAFETY, PERMANENCY, AND WELL-BEING FOR ALL CHILDREN

  Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Levin, Mr. Burr, Mr. 
Kerry, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Thune, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Menendez, 
Mr. Brownback, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Reid, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. 
Vitter, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Inhofe, 
Mr. Begich, Mrs. Hutchison, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Franken, 
Mr. Johanns, Mr. Hatch, Ms. Collins, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Brown, 
Mr. Gregg, Mr. Specter, Mr. Casey, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Dodd, and Mr. 
Risch) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 291

       Whereas there are approximately 510,000 children in the 
     foster care system in the United States, approximately 
     129,000 of whom are waiting for families to adopt them;
       Whereas 61 percent of the children in foster care are age 
     10 or younger;
       Whereas the average length of time a child spends in foster 
     care is over 3 years;
       Whereas, for many foster children, the wait for a loving 
     family in which they are nurtured, comforted, and protected 
     seems endless;
       Whereas the number of youth who ``age out'' of foster care 
     by reaching adulthood without being placed in a permanent 
     home has continued to increase since 1998, and more than 
     26,000 foster youth age out every year;
       Whereas every day loving and nurturing families are 
     strengthened and expanded when committed and dedicated 
     individuals make an important difference in the life of a 
     child through adoption;
       Whereas a 2007 survey conducted by the Dave Thomas 
     Foundation for Adoption demonstrated that though ``Americans 
     overwhelmingly support the concept of adoption, and in 
     particular foster care adoption . . . foster care adoptions 
     have not increased significantly over the past five years'';
       Whereas, while 4 in 10 Americans have considered adoption, 
     a majority of Americans have misperceptions about the process 
     of adopting children from foster care and the children who 
     are eligible for adoption;
       Whereas 71 percent of those who have considered adoption 
     consider adopting children from foster care above other forms 
     of adoption;
       Whereas 45 percent of Americans believe that children enter 
     the foster care system because of juvenile delinquency, when 
     in reality the vast majority of children who have entered the 
     foster care system were victims of neglect, abandonment, or 
     abuse;
       Whereas 46 percent of Americans believe that foster care 
     adoption is expensive, when in reality there is no 
     substantial cost for adopting from foster care and financial 
     support is available to adoptive parents after the adoption 
     is finalized;
       Whereas both National Adoption Day and National Adoption 
     Month occur in November;
       Whereas National Adoption Day is a collective national 
     effort to find permanent, loving families for children in the 
     foster care system;
       Whereas, since the first National Adoption Day in 2000, 
     more than 25,000 children have joined forever families during 
     National Adoption Day;
       Whereas, in 2008, adoptions were finalized for over 4,500 
     children through more than 325 National Adoption Day events 
     in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 
     Guam; and
       Whereas the President traditionally issues an annual 
     proclamation to declare November as National Adoption Month, 
     and National Adoption Day is on November 21, 2009: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day 
     and National Adoption Month;
       (2) recognizes that every child should have a permanent and 
     loving family; and
       (3) encourages the citizens of the United States to 
     consider adoption during the month of November and all 
     throughout the year.

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