Washington, D.C. - Today, the Senate passed a resolution, introduced by U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), supporting the goals of National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day. November is National Adoption Month and Nov. 21 is National Adoption Day.
 
“Adoption is a gift that has enriched the lives of millions of families, including my own,” said Blunt. “Every child deserves a stable, loving home, and I hope more families will use this opportunity to consider welcoming a child into their lives through adoption.”  
 
Blunt and Klobuchar serve as co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption, which works with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute to engage Members of Congress on issues pertaining to children in need of permanent homes, children in the foster care system, and domestic and international child welfare.
 
“As Senate co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, I’ve had the opportunity to witness the power of adoption firsthand,” Klobuchar said. “Recognizing November as National Adoption Month, and November 21 as National Adoption Day, are ways to honor the big hearts and hard work of adoptive families while focusing on how we can provide these families with the support they need and deserve.”
 
As the resolution notes, there are currently more than 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system, with more than 100,000 ready to be adopted.  In 2014, more than 22,000 youth “aged out” of foster care, reaching adulthood without being placed in a permanent home.
 
Earlier this year, Blunt and Klobuchar introduced the Supporting Adoptive Families Act to provide resources for pre- and post-adoption support services, including training, counseling, and mental health treatment.
 
Blunt and Klobuchar have also co-sponsored the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act and the Adoptive Family Relief Act, which was signed into law last month.
 
Read the full text of the resolution here.