Whereas all children deserve a safe, loving, and permanent
home;
Whereas approximately 500,000 children in the United
States live in foster care each year;
Whereas children enter the foster care system for a
variety of reasons, including inadequate care, abuse, or neglect by a parent or
guardian;
Whereas the major factors that contribute to the placement
of a child in the foster care system include substance abuse, mental illness,
poverty, and a lack of education of a parent or guardian of the child;
Whereas a child entering the foster care system must
confront the widespread misperception that children in foster care are
disruptive, unruly, and dangerous, even though placement in the foster care
system is based on the actions of a parent or guardian, not the child;
Whereas States and communities should be provided with the
resources to invest in preventative and reunification services and
post-permanency programs to ensure that more children in the foster care system
are provided safe, loving, permanent placements;
Whereas the foster care system is intended to be a
temporary solution, yet children remain in the foster care system for an
average of 3 years;
Whereas children of color are disproportionately
represented in the foster care system and are less likely to be reunited with
their biological families;
Whereas the average child in the foster care
system—
(1)is 10 years old;
and
(2)will be placed in
3 different homes, leading to disruptive transfers to new schools, separation
from siblings, and unfamiliar surroundings;
Whereas most children age out
of the foster
care system at the age of 18;
Whereas the number of children who enter the foster care
system each year has declined over the decade preceding the date of the
agreement to this resolution, but the number of children who age
out
of the foster care system without placement with a permanent family
has increased substantially, rising from 20,000 children in 2002 to 29,000
children in 2008;
Whereas children who “age out” of the foster care system
lack the security or support of a biological or adoptive family and frequently
struggle to secure affordable housing, obtain health insurance, pursue higher
education, and acquire adequate employment;
Whereas, of the children who have “aged out” of the foster
care system—
(1)25 percent have
been homeless;
(2)51 percent have
been unemployed for significant stretch of time, and
(3)only 2 percent
have obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher;
Whereas, by age 19, approximately 50 percent of young
women who have been in the foster care system have been pregnant, compared to
only 20 percent of young women who have been not in the foster care
system;
Whereas research reveals that children born to teen
parents are exposed to serious and high risks;
Whereas National Foster Care Month is an opportunity to
raise awareness about the special needs of children in the foster care system
and to recognize the important role that foster parents, social workers, and
advocates have in the lives of children in foster care throughout the United
States;
Whereas the Fostering Connections to Success and
Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-351; 122 Stat. 3949) provides
for new investments and services to improve the outcomes of children and
families in the foster care system; and
Whereas much remains to be done to ensure that all
children have a safe, loving, nurturing, and permanent family, regardless of
age or special needs: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)recognizes
National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the
challenges of children in the foster care system;
(2)encourages
Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster
care system;
(3)supports the
designation of a National Foster Care Month
;
(4)acknowledges the
needs of the children in the foster care system;
(5)honors the
commitment and dedication of those individuals who work tirelessly to provide
assistance and services to children in the foster care system; and
(6)recognizes the
need to continue working to improve the outcomes of all children in the foster
care system through title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)
and other programs designed to help children in the foster care system—
(A)reunite with
their biological parents; or
(B)if the children
cannot be reunited with their biological parents, find permanent, safe, and
loving homes.