Senate Supports National Adoption Month - Women's Congressional Policy Institute

On November 3, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 299) recognizing November 2005 as “National Adoption Month.”

Sponsored by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

There are approximately 532,000 children in the foster care system in the United States, 129,000 of whom are eligible for adoption;
Three years is the average length of time a child remains in foster care;
Every year, 25,000 children “age out” of foster care by reaching adulthood without being placed in a permanent home;
Since 1987, the number of adoptions has ranged from 118,000 to 127,000 annually;
There are an average 2.1 million children in the United States who live with adoptive parents; and
Approximately 60 percent of all Americans have been touched personally by adoption.