[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16575]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO ARTHUR ``KENNY'' AND JUDY SIMMONS

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize two 
very special parents in my home State of West Virginia--parents who 
have so defined the unconditional love that a parent can have for a 
child, that their actions have had a national impact in the fields of 
adoption and foster care.
  Each year, Members of Congress have the honor and privilege of 
recognizing, through the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, 
extraordinary persons who have answered one of our Nation's most 
important calls to action to provide our most vulnerable children with 
a forever family.
  Children are the future leaders of our great country, and adoption 
and foster care are causes that has always been close to my heart. I am 
proud to officially recognize two West Virginian angels--Arthur 
``Kenny'' and Judy Simmons--as true angels in adoption.
  Kenny and Judy adopted two 13-year-old boys, Joshua and Terry. The 
willingness to open a home to older children is special; all too often 
these children are left behind. Prior to adoption, these young boys 
struggled with uncertainty and one child endured 23 different homes 
while waiting for permanency. Judy and Kenny have given him a home, 
security and a future. The needs of children in foster care are 
challenging. But when we help these vulnerable, young people, we change 
their life, and in fact the lives of the entire family and communities. 
This is why throughout my Senate career, I have worked to improve 
Federal policies for adoptions and child welfare including the 2008 
Fostering Connections Act and the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 
1997. We should provide support and encouragement for foster and 
adoptive families the quality training and education they need and the 
all of the support possible for the caseworkers and judges making the 
tough decisions about a child's placement.
  Each fall, I have the pleasure of honoring one of the families in our 
State who have opened their hearts and homes to children in need. It is 
my great honor to highlight these heroes among us. The Simmons' family 
gives all they can and never gives up. They are the eptiomy of what a 
committed, forever family, is all about. For this, I want to recognize, 
honor, and thank them for their passion and dedication and for being 
true angels in adoption I admire.

                          ____________________