Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise to commemorate November as National Adoption Month. During this month, we are reminded of the importance of adoption to so many families and children in Iowa and all across the country. As Americans are celebrating the season of Thanksgiving with family and friends, adoptive families are celebrating with their new families, giving thanks for the joy of somebody they adopted. Since the first recognition of National Adoption Day 16, 17 years ago, nearly 65,000 kids have been adopted on National Adoption Day, which is always celebrated on the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year. In 2016 alone, over 4,700 adoptions were finalized on National Adoption Day. National Adoption Month is certainly a time to celebrate the joys of a new family; however, it is also a reminder of the obstacles that so many children may face. Nationally, there are over 425,000 children in foster care. Over 100,000 of these children are hoping to be adopted. In Iowa, there are about 1,000 kids in foster care who are eligible for adoption. This year, the special focus of National Adoption Month is older youth waiting to be adopted. Teenagers, unfortunately, face more difficulty in being adopted than do younger children. As cofounder and cochair of the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth, I have had the chance to hear directly from teenagers in foster care.…”