[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15864]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY

  (Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because this 
coming Saturday, November 22, is designated as National Adoption Day.
  Each year, thousands of families navigate a complicated and expensive 
adoption process and welcome a much-wanted child into their families 
and into their lives. This Saturday, we will recognize, honor, and say 
``thank you'' to these families.
  We will also raise awareness of the over 100,000 children who are 
currently in the foster care system who have not found permanent homes 
or a permanent family to belong to. Sadly, 32 percent of these children 
will wait over 3 years in foster care before being adopted.
  Globally, estimates are that there are 153 million orphans. U.S. 
families have adopted more than 7,000 of these children in 2013, but 
that is just the start. It may feel and appear to be overwhelming, but 
we can make a difference one child at a time.
  I am proud to report that adoption rates in west Michigan, my 
hometown area, are among the highest in the country. Since the 
beginning of 2014, just one west Michigan adoption agency alone has 
processed 38 domestic infant adoptions, 26 intercountry adoptions, and 
helped many others.
  We want to say thank you to them for their work.

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