[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 16005-16006]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 302--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 THE PEOPLE 
 OF THE UNITED STATES TO SECURE SAFETY, PERMANENCY, AND WELL-BEING FOR 
                              ALL CHILDREN

  Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. 
Wyden, Mr. Lautenberg, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr.  Boozman, Mr. Blunt, Mr. 
Lugar, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Levin, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
Baucus, Mr. Moran, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Johnson of 
South Dakota, Mr. Brown of Ohio, and Mr. DeMint) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 
Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 302

       Whereas there are approximately 408,000 children in the 
     foster care system in the United States, approximately 
     107,000 of whom are waiting for families to adopt them;
       Whereas 56 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 more than 2 years;
       Whereas for many foster children, the wait for a loving 
     family in which they are nurtured, comforted, and protected 
     seems endless;
       Whereas in 2010, nearly 28,000 youth ``aged out'' of foster 
     care by reaching adulthood without being placed in a 
     permanent home;
       Whereas everyday, 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 the month of 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 35,000 children have joined forever families during 
     National Adoption Day;
       Whereas in 2010, adoptions were finalized for nearly 5,000 
     children through 400 National Adoption Day events in all 50 
     States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico; and
       Whereas the President traditionally issues an annual 
     proclamation to declare the month of November as National 
     Adoption Month, and National Adoption Day is on November 19, 
     2011: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day 
     and National Adoption Month;

[[Page 16006]]

       (2) recognizes that every child should have a permanent and 
     loving family; and
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to consider 
     adoption during the month of November and all throughout the 
     year.

                          ____________________