Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) called on April 20 for American families to learn more about the foster care system and consider adopting teenagers who are currently living in foster care.
Kennedy said that most children available for adoption in the United States are teenagers, yet many prospective parents focus on adopting infants. He urged parents to think about whether they could provide a home for a teen in need, highlighting the gap between those seeking to adopt and the children most often waiting for families.
“Many of the children waiting for adoption are teens. In fact, infants younger than one month old account for 62% of all domestic adoptions in our country, despite being just 2% of children eligible for adoption in our foster care system. The other 98% of these kids and teens in foster care are not even considered by most couples seeking adoption,” Kennedy said.
He added: “I want to be clear: All adoptions—each and every adoption—all adoptions are worth celebrating, especially adoptions of infants. The mothers who gave birth to these children stand strong in the face of a culture that tells them abortion is the easy way out, and these courageous women choose life instead. It’s one of the most honorable things that a mother could do. But we can’t forget about the teens living in foster care.”
Kennedy emphasized that government alone cannot solve this issue: “Now, the government can’t fix this problem. We can’t. Moms and dads can. And we need moms and dads across this country to try to step up and fix this problem.” He encouraged potential parents—especially those from Louisiana—to visit local resources such as their Department of Children & Family Services or Unite Foster Care Ministries.
“A country is only as strong as its people. And a country’s people are only as strong as their families,” Kennedy said.
According to his official website, Kennedy has earned degrees from Vanderbilt University, Oxford University, and holds a law degree from the University of Virginia; he also serves on Senate committees including appropriations, banking, budget, and judiciary; he contributes academically as an adjunct professor; he has authored works on Constitutional law; he served as executive editor of the Virginia Law Review; and he holds top Republican positions on subcommittees related to energy policy.
