,,iv  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #da  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of 
,,representatives  ,january #aj1        
#bjag,mrs4 ,lawrence submitted the      
following resolution2 which was referred
 to the ,committee on ,education and the
 ,workforce1 and in addition to the     
,committee on the ,judiciary1 for a     
period to be subsequently determined by 
the ,speaker1 in each case for          
consideration of such provisions as fall
 within the jurisdiction of the         
committee concerned  ,,resolution       
,supporting a uniform adoption process  
for foster youth4  ,whereas there are   
over #djj1jjj children in foster care in
 the ,united ,states and #ajg1jjj       
children waiting to be adopted2 ,whereas
 the median age for foster children     
waiting to be adopted is #g years old2  
,whereas the average length of time a   
child spends in foster care is          
approximately #b years2 ,whereas        
domestic adoptions with public child    
welfare agency involvement represent    

approximately #dj percent of all        
adoptions2 ,whereas families seeking to 
adopt are expected to undergo a home    
study1 which serves to ensure their     
suitability2 ,whereas the adoption      
application and content of a home study 
varies from ,state-to-,state1 it always 
involves personal interviews by an      
adoption case worker1 an examination of 
their home1 training related to         
adoption1 and information on their      
health history and family income2       
,whereas while #d in #aj people in the  
,united ,states have considered         
adoption1 but are concerned about the   
complexity and length of time adopting  
children from foster care2 ,whereas the 
,national ,conference of ,commissioners 
on ,uniform ,state ,laws is a nonprofit1
 nonpartisan organization of more than  
#cjj lawyers1 legislators1 judges1 and  
academics who propose legislation to the
 ,states in areas subject to ,state     
authority1 including all aspects of     
family law2 ,whereas after nearly #e    

years of drafting1 debate1 and          
discussions with adoption and child     
welfare experts1 in ,august #aiid the   
,national ,conference of ,commissioners 
on ,uniform ,state ,laws approved a     
proposed ,uniform ,adoption ,act for    
submission to ,state legislatures2      
,whereas in #bjje1 the ,uniform ,laws   
,commission designated the ,adoption    
,act from #aiid as a model rather than a
 uniform law keeping ,state adoption    
policies varied and incongruent2        
,whereas the ,interstate ,compact for   
the ,placement of ,children has only    
been enacted by #i ,states and cannot be
 considered nationally in effect until  
passed by #ce ,states2 ,whereas there is
 a need for coordination between the    
,interstate ,compact for the ,placement 
of ,children1 the ,interstate ,compact  
for ,juveniles1 the ,interstate ,compact
 on ,adoption and ,medical ,assistance  
and other compacts affecting the        
placement of and which provide services 
to children2 ,whereas the ,federal      

,government should provide for a        
,state's continuing legal jurisdiction  
and responsibility for placement and    
care of a child that it would have had  
if the placement were intrastate2 and   
,whereas ,members of the ,senate and the
 ,house of ,representatives have sought 
to remove barriers to intrastate and    
interstate adoptions and encourage a    
national standard for the adoption      
process and it has not been acted on    
legislatively3 ,now1 therefore1 be it   
,that the ,house of ,representatives--  
7#a7 supports a uniform adoption process
 of children from foster care2 and  7#b7
 promotes the enactment by all ,states  
of the ,interstate ,compact for the     
,placement of ,children to ensure more  
children in the ,united ,states are     
placed in safe1 loving1 and permanent   
homes4