IV 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1501 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 30, 2022 Mr. Smith of Washington (for himself, Mr. Aderholt , Mr. Fitzpatrick , Mr. Langevin , Mr. Wittman , Mr. Lamborn , Ms. Salazar , Ms. Letlow , Mrs. Hinson , Mr. Mullin , Mrs. Miller of Illinois , Mr. Bacon , Mr. Budd , Mr. Walberg , Mr. Bishop of Georgia , Mr. Grothman , Mr. Weber of Texas , and Ms. Craig ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 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 secure safety, permanency, and well-being for all children.

Whereas there are millions of unparented children in the world, including 391,000 children in the foster care system in the United States, approximately 114,000 of whom are waiting for families to adopt them; Whereas the average length of time a child spends in foster care waiting to be adopted is 33.7 months; Whereas, for many unparented children, the wait for a loving family in which the children are nurtured, comforted, and protected seems endless; Whereas, in 2021, 14,380 children were at risk of aging 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, while nearly a quarter of individuals in the United States have considered adoption, a majority of individuals in the United States have misperceptions about the process of adopting children from foster care and the children who are eligible for adoption; Whereas family reunification, kinship care, and domestic and intercountry adoption promote greater permanency and stability for children; Whereas the Children’s Bureau, an office of the Administration for Children and Families within the Department of Health and Human Services, supports programs, research, and monitoring to help eliminate barriers to adoption and find permanent families for children; 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, more than 75,000 children have joined permanent families on National Adoption Day; Whereas the President traditionally issues an annual proclamation to declare the month of November as National Adoption Month, and the President has proclaimed November 2022 as National Adoption Month; and Whereas the Saturday before Thanksgiving has been recognized as National Adoption Day since at least 2000, and in 2022, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is November 19: Now, therefore, be it

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 (3) encourages the people of the United States to consider adoption during the month of November and throughout the year.