[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18376-18377]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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    SENATE RESOLUTION 315--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE GOALS OF BOTH 
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

  Mr. BLUNT (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. 
Casey, Mr. Boozman, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Thune, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Cochran, 
Mr. Hatch, Mr. Portman, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Moran, Mr. Lee, Mr. Enzi, Mr. 
Alexander, Mr. McCain, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Daines, Ms. Heitkamp, 
Mr. Franken, Mr. Peters, Mr. King, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Tillis, 
Mrs. Ernst, and Mr. Scott) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 315

       Whereas there are millions of unparented children in the 
     world, including 415,129 children in the foster care system 
     in the United States, approximately 108,000 of whom are 
     waiting for families to adopt them;
       Whereas 62 percent of the children in foster care in the 
     United States are age 10 or younger;
       Whereas the average length of time a child spends in foster 
     care is approximately 2 years;
       Whereas for many foster children, the wait for a loving 
     family in which the children are nurtured, comforted, and 
     protected seems endless;
       Whereas, in 2014, over 22,000 youth ``aged out'' of foster 
     care by reaching adulthood without being placed in a 
     permanent home;
       Whereas every day, 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 although 
     ``Americans overwhelmingly support the concept of adoption,

[[Page 18377]]

     and in particular foster care adoption . . . foster care 
     adoptions have not increased significantly over the past 5 
     years'';
       Whereas while 4 in 10 people of the United States have 
     considered adoption, a majority of the people of the United 
     States have misconceptions about the process of adopting 
     children from foster care and the children who are eligible 
     for adoption;
       Whereas 50 percent of the people of the United States 
     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 39 percent of the people of the United States 
     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 family reunification, kinship care, and domestic 
     and inter-county adoption promote permanency and stability to 
     a far greater degree than long-term institutionalization and 
     long-term, often disrupted, foster care;
       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, 
     nearly 54,500 children have joined permanent families during 
     National Adoption Day;
       Whereas, in 2014, nearly 400 events were held in the United 
     States finalizing the adoptions of approximately 4,500 
     children from foster care;
       Whereas the President traditionally issues an annual 
     proclamation to declare the month of November as National 
     Adoption Month; and
       Whereas National Adoption Day is on November 21, 2015: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of both National Adoption 
     Day and National Adoption Month;
       (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.

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