Recognizing National Adoption Awareness Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize November as National Adoption Awareness Month.

According to the Adoption Network, one out of every 25 families in the United States has an adopted child. That means adoption has directly touched the lives of one-third of the U.S. population.

Yet, despite the widespread impact of adoption, many more children still need a loving home. The average child waits for an adoptive family for more than 3 years, and nearly 115,000 children are waiting to find their forever home. We can do better.

Many barriers prevent these children from being placed in loving homes. They include the high and often unpredictable cost of adoption, and families and birth mothers simply not having enough information about the option of adoption.

To reduce these barriers and help support increased adoption placement, I recently introduced the Improving Adoption Outcomes and Affordability Act. My legislation provides assistance to State or local governments, public and private adoption agencies, faith-based organizations, and eligible nonprofits for the purpose of improving adoption education, providing prebirth counseling assistance to birth mothers choosing adoption, and helping to cover mental health or substance abuse treatments to mothers struggling with addiction and other personal challenges during pregnancy.

Not only will this increased education and counseling improve the outcome of the adoption for both birth mothers and adopting families, but it will also provide more pricing stability to the overall fees that families pay during an adoption. Adoptions often cost tens of thousands of dollars, which is a financial impediment to families making this life-affirming choice. Injecting more price predictability into the adoption system may be the help that families need when making the decision to adopt.

Last Congress, bipartisan legislation that I introduced to reduce known barriers for foster placement was signed into law. This bill builds on that effort to improve adoption outcomes, and we all will remain committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe and loving home. Recognizing Ann LeTort Elementary School

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Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker I rise today to congratulate the faculty, staff, and students of Ann LeTort Elementary School in the Penn Manor School District on being recognized as the 2019-2020 National Blue Ribbon School.

Mr. Speaker, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program was founded nearly 40 years ago to recognize outstanding public and private schools, who are making a difference and exemplify excellence. LeTort Elementary was recognized as an Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing School.

I would like to thank Penn Manor superintendent Dr. Michael Leichliter, the Penn Manor School Board, and the leadership and teachers at Ann LeTort Elementary for working very hard for this achievement. We know how a quality education prepares students for success throughout the rest of their lives.

Mr. Speaker, in their application for recognition, school principal Mrs. Carly McPherson notes that, ``it is evident how individuals throughout the community are vested in the education of every LeTort student.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank and congratulate that community for making a difference in the lives of their students and for being recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School.

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