[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15071]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 6, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of National 
Adoption Month because family is a fundamental American value. Family 
makes us who we are. Family provides us support and it provides us with 
a strong sense of belonging.
  Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, there are thousands of children across 
the United States who are alone and do not know family. According to 
the most recent Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System 
(AFCARS) report which provides government statistics for FY 2011, there 
are 104,000 children and youth currently in foster care who are waiting 
for permanent families.
  Mr. Speaker, raising awareness about adoption has been the focus of 
politicians for many decades. In 1976, Governor Michael Dukakis of 
Massachusetts announced an Adoption Week to promote awareness of the 
need for adoptive families for children in foster care. In 1984, 
President Reagan proclaimed the first National Adoption Week. Seventeen 
years ago, in 1995, President Bill Clinton expanded the awareness week 
to the entire month of November.
  During National Adoption Month, we are granted the opportunity to 
continue our efforts to promote and raise awareness about adoption.
  Today, we are making every effort to use the Internet and social 
media in adoption recruitment.
  Mr. Speaker, this month, we place particular attention on the youth 
and children looking for families and on the families looking to adopt. 
Our goal for the month of November is to put special emphasis on 
uniting youth and adoptive parents as happy, permanent families.
  I am a proud supporter of the Affordable Care Act which improved 
adoption credit. The Affordable Care Act raised the maximum adoption 
credit to $13,360 per child, up from $13,170 in 2010 and $12,150 in 
2009. The adoption tax credit was refundable for tax year 2011, meaning 
that eligible taxpayers receive it even if they owe no tax for that 
year. In general, the credit is based on the reasonable and necessary 
expenses related to a legal adoption, including adoption fees, court 
costs, attorney's fees and travel expenses.
  I am also a proud member of the adoption caucus.
  For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of 
National Adoption Month. I also urge you to join me in supporting the 
Affordable Care Act and in becoming a member of the adoption caucus.

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