III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2015 

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 

RESOLUTION 

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. 

Whereas there are millions of unparented children in the 

world, including 415,129 children in the foster care sysmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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•SRES 315 ATS 

tem 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, 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 

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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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of both Na3 tional Adoption Day and National Adoption Month; 

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1 (2) recognizes that every child should have a 

2 permanent and loving family; and 

3 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

4 to consider adoption during the month of November 

5 and all throughout the year. 

Æ 

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