HJ41: Adoption Awareness Month; recognizing as November 2008, and each succeeding year thereafter.
WHEREAS, families across Virginia desire to provide loving and permanent homes to children in need; and
WHEREAS, education about and awareness of adoption services and the adoption process are necessary throughout the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, there are hundreds of children living in foster care in Virginia who await adoption placement, with two-thirds of them being six years of age or older; and
WHEREAS, families who open their hearts and homes to a child in need play a vital role in fostering stable and loving families and strong communities; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Adoption Awareness Day, celebrated each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, signifies a day of promise and hope for children in need of a permanent, loving, and safe home; and
WHEREAS, National Adoption Awareness Day began in 2000 with the Alliance for Children’s Rights and support from the Freddie Mac Foundation, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and others, such as the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and Target, have become supporters; and
WHEREAS, hundreds of public departments of social services, private adoption agencies, and other community resources collaborate to provide services to thousands of children each year; and
WHEREAS, on Saturday, November 17, 2007, hundreds of communities in all 50 states held courtroom celebrations to finalize more than 3,330 adoptions of children from foster care, bringing the total number of finalized adoptions as part of National Adoption Day activities to more than 20,000; and
WHEREAS, Virginia’s Adoption Awareness Day corresponds with the National Adoption Awareness Day, a day established to increase public awareness of the need for more adoptive families and to recognize the work of adoption professionals, child welfare agencies, and child advocacy groups who work on behalf of adoptive families and children; and
WHEREAS, Virginia has recognized one day, Virginia Adoption Awareness Day, with statewide adoption awareness events and activities; however, to designate the entire month of November as Virginia Adoption Awareness Month will only heighten awareness and understanding of the needs of children in foster care awaiting adoption; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That November, in 2008 and in each succeeding year, be designated as Virginia Adoption Awareness Month to encourage awareness of the needs of children living in foster care for permanent and loving homes, and of the needs of birth, foster, and adoptive families throughout their family life cycle; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates recognize the designation of November as Virginia Adoption Awareness Month on the General Assembly's website.
WHEREAS, thousands of married couples across Virginia desire to provide loving and permanent homes to, and are willing to make the necessary sacrifices for, children in need; and
WHEREAS, these families not only take on the tremendous responsibility of parenting, but also face the burdensome and costly process of becoming adoptive parents; and
WHEREAS, many women in crisis pregnancies might choose to place their children into a loving adoptive home if they were aware of adoption services and knew more about the adoption process; and
WHEREAS, there are hundreds of foster children in Virginia who await adoption placement, with two-thirds of them being six years of age or older; and
WHEREAS, adoptive parents who open their hearts and homes to a child in need play a vital role in fostering stable and loving families and strong communities; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Adoption Awareness Day, celebrated each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, signifies a day of promise and hope for families desiring to provide a loving and safe home for children in need of adoption; and
WHEREAS, National Adoption Awareness Day began in 2000 with the Alliance for Children’s Rights and support from the Freddie Mac Foundation, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and others, such as the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and Target, have become supporters; and
WHEREAS, the largest private adoption service providers are Catholic Charities and Bethany Christian Services, combining to place thousands of children each year with loving and permanent families; and
WHEREAS, on Saturday, November 17, 2007, hundreds of communities in all 50 states held courtroom celebrations to finalize more than 3,330 adoptions of children from foster care, bringing the total number of finalized adoptions as part of National Adoption Day activities to more than 20,000; and
WHEREAS, Virginia’s Adoption Awareness Day corresponds with the National Adoption Awareness Day, a day established to increase public awareness of the need for more adoptive families and to recognize the work of adoption professionals, child welfare agencies, and child advocacy groups who work on behalf of adoptive families and children; and
WHEREAS, Virginia has recognized one day, Virginia Adoption Day, with statewide adoption awareness events and activities; however, to recognize the entire month of November as Virginia Adoption Awareness Month will only heighten awareness and understanding of the needs of children in foster care awaiting adoption; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That November be recognized as Virginia Adoption Awareness Month in 2008 and each succeeding year in order to encourage awareness of the needs of both foster children for permanent and loving homes and adoptive families during the adoption process; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates recognize the designation of November as Virginia Adoption Awareness Month on the General Assembly's website.