•HRES 833 IH 
Whereas the average length of time a child spends in foster 
care is over 2 years; 
Whereas, for many foster children, the wait for a loving fam-
ily in which they are nurtured, comforted, and protected 
seems endless; 
Whereas the number of youth who ‘‘age out’’ of foster care 
by reaching adulthood without being placed in a perma-
nent home has increased by 41 percent since 1998, and 
nearly 25,000 foster youth age out every year; 
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 recent survey conducted by the Dave Thomas 
Foundation for Adoption demonstrated that though 
‘‘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 3 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 71 percent of those who have considered adoption 
consider adopting children from foster care above other 
forms of adoption; 
Whereas 45 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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•HRES 833 IH 
Whereas 46 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 both National Adoption Day and National Adoption 
Month occur in 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, 
nearly 17,000 children have joined forever families during 
National Adoption Day; 
Whereas, in 2006, adoptions were finalized for over 3,300 
children through more than 250 National Adoption Day 
events in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 
Puerto Rico; and 
Whereas, on October 31, 2007, the President proclaimed No-
vember 2007 as National Adoption Month, and National 
Adoption Day is on November 17, 2007: 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 should have a 
permanent and loving family; and 
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•HRES 833 IH 
(3) encourages the citizens of the United States 
to consider adoption during the month of November 
and all throughout the year. 
Æ 
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