IV 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 409 
Expressing support for the goals of 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 13, 2013 
Mrs. BACHMANN (for herself, Ms. BASS, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. JONES, 
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. COOPER, Mr. LATHAM, Mr. HAS-
TINGS of Florida, Mr. BROUN of Georgia, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. WILSON of 
South Carolina, Mr. KLINE, Mr. SOUTHERLAND, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. 
LANGEVIN, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. 
WOLF, Mr. MARINO, Mr. NUNNELEE, Mr. RIBBLE, Mr. TIBERI, Mr. 
REICHERT, Mr. TERRY, Mr. PAYNE, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. STIVERS, and 
Mr. WITTMAN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the goals of 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 se-
cure safety, permanency, and well-being for all children. 
Whereas there are millions of unparented children in the 
world, including 399,546 children in the foster care sys-
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tem in the United States, approximately 102,000 of 
whom are waiting for families to adopt them; 
Whereas 60 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 they are nurtured, comforted, and protected 
seems endless; 
Whereas in 2012, nearly 26,000 youth ‘‘aged out’’ of foster 
care by reaching adulthood without being placed in a per-
manent home; 
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 a 2007 survey conducted by the Dave Thomas 
Foundation for Adoption demonstrated that although 
‘‘Americans overwhelmingly support the concept of adop-
tion, and in particular foster care adoption . . . foster 
care adoptions have not increased significantly over the 
past five years’’; 
Whereas while 4 in 10 Americans have considered adoption, 
a majority of Americans have misperceptions about the 
process of adopting children from foster care and the 
children who are eligible for adoption; 
Whereas 50 percent of Americans believe that children enter 
the foster care system because of juvenile delinquency, 
when in reality the vast majority of children who have en-
tered the foster care system were victims of neglect, 
abandonment, or abuse; 
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Whereas 39 percent of Americans believe that foster care 
adoption is expensive, when in reality there is no substan-
tial cost for adopting from foster care and financial sup-
port 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 fos-
ter care system; 
Whereas since the first National Adoption Day in 2000, near-
ly 45,000 children have joined forever families during 
National Adoption Day; 
Whereas in 2012, a total of 390 events were held in 47 
States and the District of Columbia, finalizing the adop-
tions of 4,615 children from foster care and celebrating 
an additional 500 adoptions finalized during November or 
earlier in the year; and 
Whereas the President traditionally issues an annual procla-
mation to declare the month of November as National 
Adoption Month, and National Adoption Day is on No-
vember 23, 2013: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National 
Adoption Day and National Adoption Month; 
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(2) recognizes that every child should have a 
permanent and loving family; and 
(3) encourages the people of the United States 
to consider building their family through adoption. 
Æ 
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