HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 218

Reps. MacDonell, Miller, Wooden, Mentzer, Paiz, Steckloff, T. Carter, B. Carter, Wozniak, Paquette, Prestin, Outman, Jenkins-Arno, Wortz, Rogers, Martus, Hope, VanWoerkom, St. Germaine, Steele, Roth, Byrnes, Glanville, Dievendorf, Morgan, Myers-Phillips, Price, Scott, Witwer, Brixie, Wegela, McKinney, Neeley, Slagh, Greene, Arbit, Pohutsky, Weiss, Koleszar, Xiong and Young offered the following resolution:

A resolution to declare November 2025 as Adoption Month in the state of Michigan.

Whereas, Tens of thousands of children are adopted yearly in the United States; and

Whereas, The National Council for Adoption recognizes three categories of adoption. The first is private domestic adoption, the child?s birth mother voluntarily works with a private adoption agency. The second is adoption from foster care, in which children involved in the child welfare system are adopted by their foster parents. The third is intercountry adoptions, in which children from foreign countries are adopted by American parents; and

Whereas, Over the last five years for which data are available, the most common countries of origin for intercountry adoptees were Colombia, China, Ukraine, and South Korea; and

Whereas, An estimated 2,745 children were adopted in Michigan in 2023. Of these, an estimated 1,610 were adoptions from foster care, 1,099 were private domestic adoptions, and thirty-six were intercountry adoptions; and

Whereas, Adoptees and adoptive parents face unique challenges. Adoptees from foster care are survivors of child abuse or neglect, and many intercountry adoptees were born in countries riven by conflict, hunger, or disease. Adopted children are more likely than non-adoptee children to suffer from mental and emotional issues; and

Whereas, Private domestic and intercountry adoption fees regularly cost between $25,000 and $50,000; and

Whereas, The State of Michigan?s Adoption and Guardianship Assistance Office (AGAO) provides cash assistance to adoptive parents of eligible foster children and reimburses them for their children?s eligible physical or mental health care expenses; and

Whereas, Adoptive parents sacrifice their time and treasure to help some of our most vulnerable children grow up in a loving home; and adoptive children bring joy and light to their new parents? lives. Adoptive parents and children alike deserve the State of Michigan?s recognition and support; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare November 2025 as Adoption Month in the state of Michigan.