Senators Inhofe, Lankford Applaud Senate Passage of National Adoption Month Resolution

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate today passed a resolution, co-sponsored by Oklahoma Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and James Lankford (R-OK), that supports the goals of National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day. November is National Adoption Month and November 21 is National Adoption Day.

“I am always proud when Congress comes together in support of adoption,” said Inhofe. “Since 2000, National Adoption Day has helped raise awareness and further educate people across the nation of the number of children who are in need of a forever family. As a result, more than 40,000 children have been adopted on National Adoption Day, which is remarkable when you take a moment to think of the tremendous impact that it has on the individual lives of each child and our society as a whole. My family has witnessed first-hand the blessings of adoption through my granddaughter Zegita Marie, and I remain committed to advancing bipartisan policy solutions to help children in America and across the world find a permanent and loving home.”

“There is no substitute for a safe and stable family to the health and well-being of children,” said Lankford. “Adoption provides a safe and loving home to many vulnerable children, and I’m glad the Senate can affirm adoption and the millions of Americans who have taken this step.”    

Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) are the original sponsors of this National Adoption Month resolution. Inhofe and Lankford are members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, which works on issues pertaining to children in need of permanent homes, children in the foster care system, and domestic and international child welfare. Inhofe is the former Chairman of the Coalition.

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.

Last week, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin launched the Oklahoma Fosters Initiative, a campaign to recruit more foster and adoptive families for Oklahoma foster children. After the launch, Lankford said, “Foster children often go through a lot, so we must step up and care for the 11,000 children in our state’s foster system and make sure they have a stable environment to grow and thrive. To address many of the poor outcomes associated with the foster care experience, and to prevent the ‘age out’ crisis, we must work together to provide families for Oklahoma children. Other states have seen success with initiatives like this, and I’m hopeful that we can drastically reduce the number waiting children by encouraging adoption, stable foster care, and healthy reunification.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of the resolution. 

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