The U.S. Senate on Nov. 27 approved by unanimous consent a bipartisan resolution sponsored by U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) designed to encourage more American adoptions.
“As an adoptive parent, I know how much joy and pride welcoming a child into your family can bring,” Sen. Blunt said on Tuesday. “With more than 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system, it’s vital that we continue efforts to improve the adoption process and ensure adoptive families have the support they need.”
The approved Senate Resolution (S.Res.) 704 marks November as National Adoption Month and Nov. 17 as National Adoption Day.
Sen. Blunt on Nov. 26 introduced S.Res. 704 with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). They are co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CAA). S.Res. 704 also garnered 26 other original cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Pat Roberts (R-KS), and Steve Daines (R-MT).
“Sen. Klobuchar has been a great partner in advancing policies to encourage adoption and raise awareness around children in need of families,” said Sen. Blunt. “I’m proud we were once again able to bring the entire Senate together in support of National Adoption Month and Day, and hope families across America will take time to consider what they may be able to do to help more children find the stable, loving home they deserve.”
This is the fourth consecutive year that the CAA co-chairs have spearheaded legislation to recognize November as National Adoption Month, according to Blunt’s office.
“Every kid deserves so much more than just a roof over their heads and a bed to sleep in — they deserve nurturing families, bright futures, and of course, a loving home,” said Sen. Klobuchar, who added that S.Res. 704 also “focuses our attention on the ways we can provide these families with the support they need.”
S.Res. 704 is the Senate version of House Resolution (H.Res.) 1152, introduced on Nov. 16 by U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and cosponsored by 28 other members. H.Res. 1152 is under consideration by the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee.
Earlier this year, Sens. Blunt and Klobuchar continued their efforts in raising awareness about international adoptions with the introduction of the Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee Act of 2018, S. 3396.
Put forth in August, S. 3396 would authorize the U.S. Secretary of State to establish an Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee within the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs to develop and implement policies and programs focused on improving such adoptions, according to the text of the bill, which is under review by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Identical to S. 3396 is H.R. 6985, introduced on Sept. 28 in the House by U.S. Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), and referred to the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee for consideration.
Additionally, Sens. Blunt and Klobuchar – along with U.S. Reps. Kay Granger (R-TX) and Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) – in May 2017 unveiled the bipartisan, bicameral Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2017, S. 1178/H.R. 2532. The measure would redesignate the Office of Children’s Issues in the U.S. State Department as the Office of Vulnerable Children and Family Security (VCFS), which would be overseen by an Ambassador-at-Large appointed by the president to advise the State Department and the president on vulnerable children and family security in foreign countries, according to the congressional record summary.
S. 1178/H.R. 2532 are under consideration by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, respectively.