Declaring November, 2001 as "Adoption Month" in Philadelphia and recognizing the Philadelphia Department of Human Services in their efforts to place children with nurturing adoptive families.

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS) is charged with the mission of providing nurturing and caring homes for young people in need of loving families; and

WHEREAS, When young people are placed in nurturing environments the results can be tremendous, as Commissioner Martinez recently stated in the

Philadelphia Inquirer,

“We have seen remarkable progress in the mental, physical, psychological, emotional and social growth of children who have been adopted by loving families”; and

WHEREAS, DHS has made an outstanding improvement since the mid-nineties on adoption rates from two hundred twelve (212) adoptions in 1995

to six hundred fifty (650

)

adoptions in 2000; and

WHEREAS, Implementing innovative ways to assist all children and families has become a hallmark of DHS under the leadership of Commissioner Alba Martinez; and

WHEREAS, One of those innovations has been to partner with the

Philadelphia Daily News

and their “Legacy of Love” series which has profiled children with mental health and medical needs; and

WHEREAS, That partnership has resulted in hundreds of inquiries on how to be foster parents or adoptive parents which will result in many more youth being placed in an environment that will give them a chance at happiness; and

WHEREAS, Realizing that the collective energy of partnerships make good things happen, DHS has partnered with the Faith-based Partnership for Adoption, the Statewide Adoption Network, and the National Adoption Center to ensure that positive adoptions continue not just this month but year round; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby declare November, 2001 “Adoption Month” in the City of Philadelphia.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Philadelphia Department of Human Services for their efforts to place children with nurturing adoptive families as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

End