[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17014]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   OBSERVING ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. KING. Mr. President, each November we celebrate National Adoption 
Awareness Month to recognize the families that choose to adopt and the 
organizations that support them. During this month, we honor those who 
welcome these children into their homes and hearts, help them to grow 
to their full potential, and give them a better future. Today I would 
like to draw attention to the importance of adoption and raise 
awareness about youth in foster care programs, especially in Maine.
  There are over 400,000 children in the foster care system, many of 
them waiting and hoping that the right family will come to adopt them. 
While many of these children are successfully returned to their birth 
parents and relatives, almost half are left in the system to fend for 
themselves. The absence of a stable family structure can be disastrous 
for children who are still developing psychologically and are trying to 
find their way in the world.
  This issue has very real impacts on the future of these children and 
our society as a whole. Young adults who age out of the foster care 
system before being placed with a family are at a significantly higher 
risk for homelessness, incarceration, and unemployment. Alternatively, 
children who are adopted from foster care are more likely to achieve 
academic success and emotional security than their counterparts who 
remain in foster care. Nearly 80 percent of Americans, myself included, 
believe that more should be done to encourage adoption; yet, each year, 
tens of thousands of available children remain in the system, without 
families. Every child deserves to grow up in a permanent, safe, and 
loving home. This month, as we thank all those who have opened their 
hearts and homes to these children, we must acknowledge that there is 
still much work ahead of us.
  I am proud of the important roles Maine citizens have played in 
promoting adoption awareness. Adoptive & Foster Families of Maine, 
Inc., AFFM, has been instrumental in helping children find the security 
they deserve and in providing support to the families who welcome them 
into their homes. Fostering or adopting a child can be an emotional 
process, and AFFM offers many services to all Maine adoptive families, 
including support groups, resource mentors, material goods, and a 
referral database for legal matters and mental health support. The 
adoption process is an emotional, transformative, and sometimes even 
stressful time for children and for their new families; therefore, the 
services provided by AFFM are an integral aspect of cultivating safe, 
joyful adoptions across the State. I have witnessed their hard work in 
action, and I am proud of all they have done for families and children 
across Maine.
  My wife, Mary, and I have been blessed with two adoptions. I know 
firsthand what an amazing process adoption can be. Our experience would 
not have been possible without the loving support of our family, 
friends and community. Mary and I have been so fortunate with the joy 
all of our children bring to our lives every day, and I am proud to 
celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month.
  I would like to recognize and thank Adoptive & Foster Families of 
Maine, Inc., and all others who facilitate adoptions throughout the 
country and make it possible for children in foster care to find their 
forever homes. Selfless, caring individuals and programs like AFFM help 
bring children one step closer to their dreams. They offer the hope of 
love and security to future generations, and for that, they deserve our 
immense gratitude.

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