[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17544]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         NATIONAL ADOPTION WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Brady) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the time to talk about 
something near and dear to my heart, families.
  This week is National Adoption Week, and as adoptive parents of two 
wonderful boys, my wife, Cathy, and I know how blessed an adoptive 
family is. Will, our 13-year old, and Sean, who will tell you he's 
almost 10, are the light of our lives. They're the gifts that give our 
lives a purpose and a joy we never knew before.
  It's a privilege for me to serve the people of the Eighth District of 
Texas, but it is my highest privilege to be called Dad because two 
women in two difficult circumstances in two different States made the 
difficult but life-changing choice to give Cathy and I the greatest 
gift of all, a family.
  This weekend marks the 12th annual National Adoption Day, where 
judges will open their courts for very special cases, and tens of 
thousands of children become a part of these forever families.
  In my home State of Texas, there are nearly 30,000 children in foster 
care, and half of them could be adopted tomorrow. I hope that every 
American who has ever thought about sharing their blessings with a 
child thinks about these children who just want a seat at a 
Thanksgiving table they can call their own.
  I ask every American, do you have room for one more at your table? If 
just 1 in 500 of the Americans who were polled recently and said they'd 
be open to adopting a foster child did so, no foster child would only 
have dreams of a forever family; they would have that seat at the 
Thanksgiving Day table.
  Right now the average wait for a foster child to find a forever 
family is over 2\1/2\ years. To a child, that seems like forever. And 
thousands age out of the system every year, never having found a home. 
In the greatest Nation on God's green earth, we can do better by these 
kids, one by one, town by town.
  A loving, forever family and home not only makes a powerful 
difference in the lives of these children, I can promise you the joy 
and love you'll get back will change your family. Being an adoptive 
parent is a gift. Every day is a present. The love you share comes back 
to you because adoptions make families. It made mine. Maybe it can make 
yours as well.

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