There are few things in life more touching than to see individuals give generously of themselves to improve the lives of children. There is no place where this is more evident than in homes that have opened their doors and their hearts to children who do not have a family to love and care for them.
One of the most basic needs of a child is to have a safe and loving home, with a family to cherish and support them. But for hundreds of thousands of children in America—50 million worldwide—unfortunate circumstances have robbed them of the love, support and stability of a family. But among us are “Angels,” who are eager to provide loving homes for these children.
Some of these angels live in Maine. In October, a woman from Gardiner will be honored for her commitment to children.
Each year, Members of Congress have the privilege of recognizing members of the community who have truly made a difference in children’s lives through adoption with “Angels in Adoption” awards. As a member of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, I nominated Susan Potter, of Gardiner, for her continued efforts on behalf of children’s welfare and adoption.
Susan’s commitment to her family and community is truly remarkable. Her son, Joseph, was adopted from Colombia in 1986. In 2000, a friend told Susan about a newspaper article that detailed the story of a Cambodian-born toddler who had been brought to the United States by the Sharing Foundation for medical treatment. Doctors had diagnosed the two-year-old girl with Pallister-Hall Syndrome—an extremely rare genetic disorder that affects the development of many parts of the body. Sadly, most children with this disability die in infancy. Dr. Nancy Hendrie, President of the Sharing Foundation and a retired pediatrician, brought the girl to the United States and arranged with Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Dan Ryan for care unavailable in Cambodia. When she arrived in our country, the child was 23 months old and weighed just 10 pounds. Over a five-month period, she underwent six major surgeries. At this point, she was available for adoption. Moved by her story, Susan Potter and her husband, Mark Hughes, applied to adopt the child, whom they named Maya. Approximately 70 families applied to adopt the fragile little girl and, according to Susan, "we were lucky enough to be picked." Under the care of Susan, Mark, and her new family, Maya has undergone additional surgeries and a great deal of developmental therapy.
As an infant, Maya was certain to die in a Cambodian orphanage. Thanks to her doctors, and her loving family, today she is nine years old and is a happy and healthy fourth grade student who loves gymnastics. Maya currently works with a one-on-one educational technician but, in the near future, she will no longer need the additional assistance.
Susan Potter truly defines what it means to be an "Angel in Adoption." She says her daughter is a perfect case study for what early intervention can do for children. She calls Maya the single most amazing human being she has ever known.
It gives me great pleasure to provide such well-deserved recognition to this exceptional family. It is extraordinary people like Susan and Mark who are making a difference to a growing number of children.
It is for this reason that I was pleased to be a cosponsor of the Adoption Promotion Act which was signed into law in 2003. This legislation reauthorized and improved the Adoption Incentive Program, created as part of the 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act.
The Adoption Incentives Program, which rewards states for their efforts to unite foster children with permanent, loving families, has been a great success. Since the program’s inception, adoptions in our country have increased by 64 percent. There are, however, still thousands of children nationwide, including hundreds in Maine, in the foster care system who are eligible for adoption but are still waiting for permanent homes.
Many older children wait for years to be placed with an adoptive family, if they are adopted at all. I was therefore pleased that the Adoption Promotion Act included a new incentive to encourage the adoption of older children. Older children also need a stable and loving environment so that they can grow up to be happy, healthy, and productive adults.
It is efforts such as those being made by the “Angels in Adoption” program and the Adoption Promotion Act that are raising public awareness of the ways that committed individuals can help children through adoption and foster care. And it is the example set by people like Susan Potter that will inspire others to think about adopting.