{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://hartzler.house.gov/blog/national-adoption-awareness-day", "National Adoption Awareness Day", "2014-11-21", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Vicky Hartzler", "H001053", "hartzler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Adoption is a wonderful way to make a family! \u00a0It gives young children a home, makes loving couples \u2018moms\u2019 and \u2018dads\u2019, fills empty arms with loving hugs, and can be the saving grace for the unborn. In short, adoption is a positive way to create a family. As we recognize November as National Adoption Month and mark National Adoption Day on November 22, 2014, we celebrate the thousands of American lives touched by this joining of hearts, while also advocating for the thousands more children and future \u2018moms\u2019 and \u2018dads\u2019 who await these wonderful opportunities.\nAs a representative who was blessed to become a mother through adoption, I am proud to be a strong advocate for pro-adoption legislation in Washington.\u00a0 In the 113th Congress, for instance, I have sponsored and co-sponsored bills that promote and protect adoption and the foster care system.\u00a0 I am a co-sponsor of the National Adoption Day Resolution that promotes national awareness of adoption and the children waiting for families.\u00a0 I also co-sponsored the Adoption Promotion Act, a bill my colleague, Congressman Billy Long, has put forward. The bill would require government funding for women\u2019s health to cover professional adoption counseling and research programs to study the success of pregnancy options counseling. \u00a0In addition, I introduced legislation that would strengthen the likelihood of adoptions lasting to permanency by improving some of the pre-adoption checks and processes.\u00a0 While this is a partial listing of some of the bills in this Congress that I have supported on this vital issue, one thing is for certain: I will never tire of advocating on behalf of children and families \u2013 it is a matter of the heart that I care deeply about.\nWe need to focus on adoption every month; not just during November. Every day, thousands of couples desire to become parents and to give children a permanent, loving home.\u00a0\u00a0 This life-changing decision will have a profound impact on the lives of parents and of deserving children by giving them the resources to succeed in life.\u00a0 More importantly, that child can now rest assured that she will wake up every morning and go to bed every night with two parents that love her.\u00a0 We need more families to adopt and more birthmothers willing to make this life giving, life-affirming decision.\u00a0 Every child deserves a loving family.\nSometimes children are adopted at birth.\u00a0 Other times it occurs when children are older and have been in the foster care system.\u00a0 Sadly, nearly 400,000 children remain without a permanent, lasting family or home. This could be from abandonment, neglect, or abuse. The foster care system allows for a reprieve for children in need and has been the path for around two in every five adopted Americans. More than 100,000 children in the U.S. foster care system want to be adopted and are still awaiting their \u201cforever family.\u201d This is a tragedy that needs to be remedied.\nToday, Missouri has over 10,000 children in our foster care system. 1,400 of these children and youth are available for adoption and waiting to be part of a loving family. \u00a0Be a part of the solution.\u00a0 Join me in celebrating National Adoption Day on November 22nd! \u00a0Visit www.nationaladoptionday.org to see how you can join the effort!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://hartzler.house.gov/blog/national-adoption-awareness-day"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9663240052759647, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}