[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 211 (Tuesday, November 1, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 76269-76270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26526]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 211 / Tuesday, November 1, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 76269]]


                Proclamation 9530 of October 27, 2016

                
National Adoption Month, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Across America, adoptive parents welcome children into 
                stable, loving families, providing a safe and 
                comforting place for children in need to call home. 
                Families who choose the life-changing path of adoption 
                make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives 
                of some of the most vulnerable young people in our 
                society. Regardless of sexual orientation, gender 
                identity, race, or religion, devoted Americans who 
                adopt help give more children the upbringing they 
                deserve. Each November, we recognize the important role 
                that adoption has played in the lives of children and 
                families in our country and around the world, and we 
                rededicate ourselves to ensuring every child can find 
                their forever family.

                Last year, more than 100,000 children were waiting to 
                be adopted from foster care, and every year, too many 
                older youth age out of the foster care system before 
                they are able to find permanence. Without this support 
                during the critical years of early adulthood, these 
                youth are more likely than their peers to experience 
                homelessness, unemployment, or incarceration. To make 
                the possibility of adoption real for more children 
                across our country, my Administration has eliminated 
                barriers to adoption by extending tax credits and 
                providing financial incentives to child welfare 
                agencies in almost every State to maximize adoptions. I 
                have also worked to strengthen Federal workplace 
                flexibility policies to ensure more families, including 
                adoptive families, can keep their jobs and care for 
                their children as their family grows.

                On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we also recognize 
                National Adoption Day, kicking off a week of reflection 
                and gratitude for many adoptive families. Each year on 
                this day, thousands of adoptions are finalized, 
                including more than 4,000 children in 2015. This year, 
                cities from coast to coast will host a variety of 
                events to commemorate the occasion.

                One of the most important jobs many of us will ever 
                have is being a parent. Throughout National Adoption 
                Month, we celebrate all those who have invited a child 
                in need into their hearts and into their homes, and we 
                express our profound appreciation for all who help make 
                adoptions possible. Let us continue strengthening the 
                adoption process so that all children can learn, grow, 
                and thrive with the support of a devoted and permanent 
                family.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim November 2016 as 
                National Adoption Month. I encourage all Americans to 
                observe this month by answering the call to find a 
                permanent and caring family for every child in need and 
                by supporting the families who care for them.

[[Page 76270]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                first.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2016-26526
Filed 10-31-16; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P