Life is a journey often navigated with the love and support of a family. For some children, that loving touch seems fleeting. The journey to create a loving home for every child is a deeply personal cause to me, and to numerous potential adopting parents who believe, as I do, that every child deserves a family. It breaks my heart to think of countless children waiting for a family, only to age out of the system without finding their forever home. The process, as it stands, disproportionately favors families of higher economic status, leaving many loving homes out of reach for these children.

Adoption must not be a privilege confined to certain income levels. It is our duty to ensure that every prospective adoptive family, irrespective of their income bracket, has an equal opportunity to provide a loving home to a child. In 2017, there were approximately 443,000 children in foster care in the United States (Child Welfare Information Gateway), a number that signals the significant necessity of broadening the accessibility of adoption.

Additionally, the adoption process can often be a lengthy one, sometimes taking years to finalize. This lengthy wait only further burdens children waiting for a place to call home. By streamlining the process, we can reduce the time children spend in the system and increase the number of successful adoptions.

I aspire for a shift in adoption practices that transform the existing bureaucracy into a more efficient, inclusive, and caring institution. It's time for policies that prioritize children's welfare above all. Let's rally together and call for adoption reform which makes adoption accessible to more families, regardless of their income and works urgently to expedite the adoption process. Please sign this petition to bring us a step closer to ensuring every child grows up in a loving home.