Lugar Co-Sponsors National Adoption Day Resolution

Press Release

Sen. Dick Lugar today announced his co-sponsorship of a resolution expressing support for the goals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month by promoting national awareness for adoption, celebrating the children and families involved in adoption, and encouraging the people of the United States to protect the well-being for all children. November is National Adoption Month and November 19 is National Adoption Day.

"Ensuring the United States has a prosperous future starts with securing a safe, stable well-being for our children. Thousands of American children enter the foster care system each year and experience an unstable environment during influential years of their lives," said Lugar. "Families who adopt give these children a second chance for success in their lives and protect not only the lives of those innocent children, but the future of the United States."

Each day in the United States 697 children enter the foster care system because of abuse or neglect. More than 3,485 will enter the foster care system each week in the United States. Additionally, approximately 87,000 children will be in the system for three or more years and nearly 28,000 young adults will "age out" of the system each year without a permanent family.

On November 19, National Adoption Day, more than 5,000 children will be adopted in the United States. Since the first National Adoption Day in 2000, more than 35,000 children have found permanent homes through the efforts of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA.)

Each year, CCA invites Members of Congress to participate in the Angels in Adoption™ program to recognize individuals from their states that have improved the lives of children through adoption. Since the program's inception in 1999, Congress has awarded more than 1400 congressional Angels in Adoption™.

Lugar, a member of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, has nominated a Hoosier each year since 2001.

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