On October 8, the House approved, by voice vote, a bill (H.R. 3182) to reauthorize payments to states to promote adoption.
Sponsored by Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), the Adoption Promotion Act would reauthorize $43 million for FY2004-2008 for the Adoption Incentives Payment program. Under the bill, $4,000 would be provided to states for each child adopted above the prior year’s level, and an additional $2,000 would be provided for each special needs child adopted above the prior year’s level. H.R. 3182 also would include a new provision to award states an additional $4,000 for each child age nine or older who is adopted above the prior year’s level. Finally, the measure would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to report by October 1, 2004, on states’ efforts to promote adoption.
Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) lauded passage of the bill, noting: “Nationally, more than 18,000 children have been adopted since Congress created the Adoption Incentive Program in 1997.” He went on to add that, “despite this progress, there are still 126,000 children waiting to be adopted.”
Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) agreed. “The idea of providing an opportunity for children who could not experience family life, to give them the opportunity to have the well-being, the nurturing of a family rather than being institutionalized or a ward of the State is of tremendous value.”
Finance Committee Chair Charles Grassley (R-IA) has introduced comparable legislation (S. 1686) in the Senate.
