110 HRES 733 IH: Recognizing the importance of improving the U.S. House of Representatives 2007-10-10 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 733 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 10, 2007 Mr. Weller of Illinois (for himself, Mr. McDermott, Mr. English of Pennsylvania, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, and Mrs. Bachmann) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor RESOLUTION Recognizing the importance of improving the high school graduation rate of foster youth.

Whereas an average of about 7,000 students become dropouts from high school in the United States every school day; Whereas, in an average week during the 2006 school year, about 8 percent of youth ages 16 through 19 were neither enrolled in school nor working; Whereas about 20,000 youth age out of foster care each year; Whereas about 84 percent of people in the United States 25 years and older have completed high school, but only about half of foster youth graduate from high school; Whereas many children entering foster care may have educational deficits and therefore need additional attention in order to graduate in a timely manner; Whereas for foster youth aging out of the foster care system, 1 in 4 will be incarcerated within the first 2 years after leaving the system and over 1 in 5 will become homeless at some time after age 18; Whereas high school dropouts are more likely than graduates to be periodically unemployed, to go on government assistance, or to become incarcerated; Whereas median earnings in 2006 for those who have not completed high school were $18,641 per year, and median earnings for those completing high school was 40 percent higher at $26,123 per year; Whereas, in 2006, the poverty rate for those with less than a high school education was about twice as high as for those who have completed high school—23.7 percent versus 11.5 percent; Whereas graduating from high school leads to higher lifetime earnings, better health, fewer teen births, parents who raise healthier and better educated children, lower crime, less reliance on government programs and services, and higher participation in civic activities such as voting and volunteering; Whereas countless social workers, judges, foster parents, advocates, and others are working tirelessly to help foster youth; Whereas the months of September and October mark the start of a new school year; and Whereas the start of the school year is an opportunity to encourage all students to stay in school at least until graduating from high school: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)recognizes the importance of increasing the rate at which foster youth graduate from high school; (2)expresses concern that the current high school graduation rate of foster youth is too low; and (3)supports efforts to improve the high school graduation rate of foster youth, including through increased coordination between child welfare and educational agencies.