IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 959 
Recognizing and supporting the success of the Adoption and Safe Families 
Act of 1997 in increasing adoption and the efforts the Act has spurred 
including National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month, and 
encouraging adoption throughout the year. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 27, 2006 
Mr. CAMP (for himself, Mr. HERGER, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. OBERSTAR, Ms. 
GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. 
CARNAHAN, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. SHAW, and Mr. ENGLISH of 
Pennsylvania) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Ways and Means 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing and supporting the success of the Adoption and 
Safe Families Act of 1997 in increasing adoption and 
the efforts the Act has spurred including National Adop-
tion Day and National Adoption Month, and encouraging 
adoption throughout the year. 
Whereas since the passage of the Adoption and Safe Families 
Act of 1997, the number of children adopted from foster 
care has increased significantly, with approximately 
51,000 children adopted from foster care in fiscal year 
2004 alone; 
Whereas despite this remarkable progress, approximately 
118,000 children in the United States foster care system 
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•HRES 959 IH 
are waiting to be adopted, and 49 percent of these chil-
dren are at least nine years old; 
Whereas adoptive families make an important difference in 
the lives of the children they adopt by providing a stable, 
nurturing environment for those children; 
Whereas National Adoption Day is a collective national effort 
to find permanent, loving families for children in foster 
care; 
Whereas both National Adoption Day and National Adoption 
Month are in November; 
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services 
launched a series of public service announcements pro-
moting the adoption of children eight and older in 2002; 
Whereas more than 6,000 children have been placed into 
adoptive homes since the Department of Health and 
Human Services launched www.adoptuskids.org, a na-
tional photo listing service for children awaiting adoption 
across the United States; 
Whereas judges, attorneys, adoption professionals, child wel-
fare agencies, and child advocates in 45 States and the 
District of Columbia participated in 227 events in con-
junction with National Adoption Day in 2005; and 
Whereas these events finalized the adoptions of more than 
3,300 children from foster care: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes and supports the success of the 
Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 and of the 
efforts it has spurred; 
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(2) recognizes and supports the goals and ideals 
of National Adoption Day and National Adoption 
Month; and 
(3) encourages adoption throughout the year. 
Æ 
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