IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 538 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National 
Adoption Month by promoting awareness of adoption and the children 
in foster care awaiting families, celebrating children and families involved 
in adoption, recognizing current programs and efforts designed to pro-
mote adoption, and encouraging people in the United States to seek 
improved safety, permanency, and well-being for all children. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 19, 2015 
Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York (for himself, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. 
TAKANO, Mr. POCAN, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. 
DEGETTE, Mr. NADLER, Mr. HONDA, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Ms. 
NORTON, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Ms. LEE) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
the Workforce 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day 
and National Adoption Month by promoting awareness 
of adoption and the children in foster care awaiting 
families, celebrating children and families involved in 
adoption, recognizing current programs and efforts de-
signed to promote adoption, and encouraging people in 
the United States to seek improved safety, permanency, 
and well-being for all children. 
Whereas more than 400,000 children are currently in the fos-
ter care system in the United States, and more than 
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•HRES 538 IH 
100,000 children in the foster care system are waiting for 
families to adopt them; 
Whereas more than 23,000 young people age out of the foster 
care system each year before finding a permanent family; 
Whereas every day loving and nurturing families are 
strengthened and expanded when committed and dedi-
cated parents make an important difference in the life of 
a child through adoption; 
Whereas inclusive policies that promote adoption increase the 
opportunities for loving parents to adopt from within the 
foster care system; 
Whereas 2,000,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 
people are interested in adopting but discriminatory law, 
policies, and practices are restricting their ability to do 
so; 
Whereas in order to open more homes to foster children, child 
welfare agencies should work to eliminate sexual orienta-
tion, gender identity, and marital status discrimination 
and bias in adoption and foster care recruitment, selec-
tion, and placement procedures; 
Whereas professional organizations in the fields of medicine, 
psychology, law, and child welfare have taken official po-
sitions in support of the ability of qualified lesbian, gay, 
bisexual, and unmarried couples to foster and adopt a 
child, as supported by scientific research showing sexual 
orientation as a nondeterminative factor in parental suc-
cess; 
Whereas discrimination against potential foster or adoptive 
parents based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or 
marital status is not in the best interests of children in 
the foster care system; 
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•HRES 538 IH 
Whereas 71 percent of those parents who have considered 
adoption consider adopting children from foster care 
above other forms of adoption; 
Whereas National Adoption Day is a collective national effort 
to find permanent, loving families for children in the fos-
ter care system; 
Whereas National Adoption Month serves as a way to focus 
public attention on the urgent need for adoptive families 
for children and youth waiting in foster care for a perma-
nent family; and 
Whereas November 2015 is National Adoption Month and 
November 21, 2015, is National Adoption Day: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National 
Adoption Day and National Adoption Month; 
(2) recognizes that every child in foster care de-
serves a permanent and loving family; 
(3) encourages the implementation of inclusive 
adoption policies that allow a growing number of di-
verse families to adopt; and 
(4) encourages the citizens of the United States 
to consider adoption of children in foster care who 
are waiting for a permanent, loving family. 
Æ 
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