For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 1, 2002
National Adoption Month, 2002
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Every year, thousands of American families are blessed by
adoption. Whether through domestic or international adoption or
through the adoption of children from foster care, the love of
compassionate families embraces children of all ages and from every
background. During National Adoption Month, we recognize the heartfelt
commitment of these good citizens, and we renew our pledge to make
adoption a more accessible and positive path for American families.
Children thrive in loving families where they are nurtured,
comforted, and protected. We are making important progress in placing
children in foster care with adoptive families; and the overall number
of children being adopted continues to rise. In the past 5 years,
adoptions have increased dramatically; and thus far in 2002, tens of
thousands of children have already been adopted.
Twenty-three States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico received
adoption incentive awards in FY 2001 for increasing the number of
children they placed from foster care into permanent adoptive homes.
These recipients have reinvested their bonuses to help improve their
respective adoption and child welfare programs. Americans also
continue to welcome children from other countries into their homes
through international adoptions. Last year, families in the United
States adopted over 19,000 children from around the world.
Despite the progress we have made in increasing our adoption rate,
we still have much work to do. More than 130,000 children, ranging
from toddlers to teenagers, still remain in foster care awaiting
adoption. While foster parents offer temporary essential care, the
children for whom they care need the stability of a permanent family.
It is often challenging to find families for older children and those
children who have special needs. Yet they deserve a future with a
nurturing family.
To help States promote adoption and support families who adopt, I
signed a tax relief bill last year that permanently eases the financial
burden on families that adopt children. And in January 2002, I signed
into law a bill to extend and expand the Promoting Safe and Stable
Families Program. Through this legislation, we are strengthening
families by promoting adoption, offering post-adoptive services to
families that adopt, and providing education and training vouchers to
older adopted children and foster youth.
In July 2002, my Administration launched the AdoptUSKids national
campaign to increase awareness about adoption and its role in helping
all children reach their full potential. We have also created the
first Federal adoption photo-listing web site devoted to children
awaiting adoption and families who adopt, www.AdoptUSKids.org. During
its first year, the web site will feature pictures and profiles of more
than 6,500 children awaiting adoption, as well as a database of
approved adoptive families. This unique web site will help to connect
children from across the country with loving adoptive families, and it
will also serve as a great resource for all adoptive families.
On November 23, dozens of communities will gather in courtrooms
across the country to celebrate National Adoption Day. On this
momentous day, thousands of adoptions will be finalized and
celebrated. These efforts demonstrate our Nation's dedication to
ensuring that every child can thrive in a secure, loving, and stable
home.
Through adoption, Americans can forever change not only a child's
life but also their own. By providing children in need with the
opportunity to grow and succeed through adoption, we can help them
become confident, compassionate, and successful members of society.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2002 as
National Adoption Month. I call on all Americans to observe this month
with appropriate programs and activities to honor adoptive families,
and to participate in efforts to find permanent homes for waiting
children.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-seventh.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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