>Scott Garrett : Honoring Our Angels in Adoption
This week, I was pleased to go to the floor of the House of Representatives to recognize November as National Adoption Month and commemorate the anniversary of National Adoption Day on November 20th. Now in its eleventh year, National Adoption Day is a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the 123,000 children in foster care who are eligible and waiting for adoption, as well as honor families that have chosen to make a lasting difference in the life of a child through adoption.
Since its inception in 2000, more than 30,000 children have been connected to their new families as part of National Adoption Day activities. Last year alone over 4,800 children were adopted, and in 2010, it is hoped that almost 5,000 adoptions from foster care will be finalized nationwide. As your Congressman, I’m proud to report we have many families in the Fifth District that have changed the life of a child by choosing to adopt. Through the commemoration of the 11th Anniversary of National Adoption Day, I’m confident we will inspire many others to open up their hearts and homes to children in need of loving families.
This year, I would like to honor Shea and George Campbell of Waldwick for their tireless dedication as a foster family and adoptive parents. For more than thirty years, the Campbells have welcomed over 121 foster children into their home and have gone on to adopt several more to become full-time members of their family. Although many children have come in and out of their lives, George and Shea continue to be a haven of support, an invaluable resource for mentoring and source of inspiration for Americans across the country. Shea and George Campbell have given so many children the hope of a brighter future and I am proud to recognize them as “Angels in Adoption” as we celebrate National Adoption Day.
As we celebrate the 11th anniversary of National Adoption Day, it is important to remember that many children remain in foster care and are looking for a family to care for them and a place to call home. It’s my hope that we can continue to raise the awareness of National Adoption Day well into the future and inspire the next generation of families to open their homes to children in need of a family.
Sincerely,
Scott Garrett
