Washington -
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.Res. 1648, which recognizes the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month. I would also like to thank Chairman Oberstar for introducing this resolution and for his recognition of this important issue.
As a practicing OB/GYN physician for nearly 30 years before being elected to Congress, I have seen first hand the life-changing role of adoption services for families and children all across the nation. Adoption and foster care are extraordinary means for child survivability. In fact, 45% of Americans believe that children are placed in foster care due to some form of juvenile delinquency, but the unfortunate reality is that these children are primarily victims of abuse or neglect. For so many of these youth, the care they receive in foster homes and adoption agencies provides them the only home they ever know. Sadly, year after year, we see thousands of children “age out” of foster care and enter adulthood.
Madam Speaker, every child in this nation and around the world deserves a loving family that will take care of them and provide for their basic needs. I applaud the many organizations across the United States that tirelessly strive to provide a home for foster care children and offer them a temporary place to live until they are placed in a permanent home. With local adoption agencies and foster homes doing their part, we must also do ours. I am proud that this body has voted to provide significant tax credits to families adopting children with special needs.
Today there are over 423,000 children in the United States foster care system, and 114,000 of these young individuals are waiting for a loving family to adopt them. The vast majority of these youth are victims of abandonment, abuse, or neglect, and they are in dire need of a family that will provide a home so that they can grow into successful adults.
Madam Speaker, families that adopt should also be recognized for their commitment to improving the lives of children through the expansion and strengthening of their own families. These families come from all walks of life, but what ties them together is an abounding love for the neglected and the happiness that their new families enjoy after adoption. Their noble actions in caring for our youth are a public service—but more importantly—an act of service and humility in love for humanity.
Madam Speaker, this resolution recognizes and honors the foster care and adoption agencies around the nation that provide our youth with a sense of hope and a future. I support and congratulate all of these agencies and families in their honorable endeavors, and charge them to continue their efforts into the future.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back.
