Expressing support for the goals of National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day by promoting national awareness of adoption and the children waiting for adoption, 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.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 704 Expressing support for the goals of National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day by promoting national awareness of adoption and the children waiting for adoption, 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. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 14, 2019 Ms. SHALALA (for herself and Mr. ADERHOLT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor RESOLUTION Expressing support for the goals of National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day by promoting national awareness of adoption and the children waiting for adop- tion, celebrating children and families involved in adop- tion, and encouraging the people of the United States to secure safety, permanency, and well-being for all chil- dren. Whereas there are far too many unparented children in the United States; Whereas the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Report- ing System Report on fiscal year 2018 foster care and adoption population characteristics (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘AFCARS report’’) indicates that there VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Nov 14, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR704.IH HR704 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HRES 704 IH are approximately 437,300 children in the foster care system in the United States, approximately 125,400 of whom are waiting for adoption; Whereas the AFCARS report indicates that— (1) 65 percent of the children in foster care in the United States are 10 years of age or younger; (2) the average length of time a child spends in fos- ter care is approximately 20 months; (3) in 2018, approximately 17,800 youth ‘‘aged out’’ of foster care by reaching adulthood without being placed in a permanent home; and (4) in 2018, the number of children who— (A) achieved permanency through adoption in- creased for the fourth year in a row; and (B) entered foster care decreased for the second year in a row; Whereas, still, for many foster children, the wait for a loving family in which they are nurtured, comforted, and pro- tected seems endless; Whereas a survey conducted in 2017 (referred to in this pre- amble as the ‘‘2017 survey’’) showed that a quarter of respondents who had not adopted had considered adop- tion; Whereas the 2017 survey showed that 46 percent of respond- ents either somewhat or strongly agreed that children enter the foster care system because of juvenile delin- quency, despite the AFCARS report revealing that ne- glect was associated with 62 percent of cases involving the removal of a child, or approximately 163,500 cases; Whereas the 2017 survey showed that— VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:13 Nov 15, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR704.IH HR704 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HRES 704 IH (1) 39 percent of respondents believed foster care adoption is expensive; and (2) a majority of respondents considering foster care adoption indicated that receiving financial and emotional support would make a difference in their decision to pur- sue adoption; Whereas the Children’s Bureau, an office of the Administra- tion for Children and Families within the Department of Health and Human Services, supports programs, re- search, and monitoring to help eliminate barriers to adoption and find permanent families for children; Whereas, every day, loving and nurturing families are strengthened and expanded when committed and dedi- cated individuals make an important difference in the life of a child through adoption; Whereas the President traditionally issues an annual procla- mation to declare the month of November as National Adoption Month; Whereas National Adoption Day has been celebrated as a col- lective national effort to find permanent and loving fami- lies for children in the foster care system; and Whereas the Saturday before Thanksgiving has been recog- nized as National Adoption Day since at least 2000, and, in 2019, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is November 23: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the goals and ideals of National 2 Adoption Month and National Adoption Day; 3 (2) recognizes that every child should have a 4 permanent and loving family; and 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Nov 14, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR704.IH HR704 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HRES 704 IH (3) encourages the people of the United States 1 to consider adoption during the month of November 2 and throughout the year. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Nov 14, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR704.IH HR704 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS