[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 442 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 442

   Recognizing National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise 
 awareness about the challenges of children in the foster care system, 
 and encouraging Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of 
                  children in the foster care system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 13, 2014

  Ms. Landrieu (for herself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Crapo, Ms. 
   Heitkamp, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Levin, Mr. Johanns, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. 
 Cochran, Mr. Casey, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Wyden, 
and Mrs. Hagan) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
       to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise 
 awareness about the challenges of children in the foster care system, 
 and encouraging Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of 
                  children in the foster care system.

Whereas National Foster Care Month was established more than 20 years ago to--

    (1) bring foster care issues to the forefront;

    (2) highlight the importance of permanency for every child; and

    (3) recognize the essential role that foster parents, social workers, 
and advocates have in the lives of children in foster care throughout the 
United States;

Whereas all children deserve a safe, loving, and permanent home;
Whereas the primary goal of the foster care system is to ensure the safety and 
        well-being of children while working to provide a safe, loving, and 
        permanent home for each child;
Whereas there are approximately 400,000 children living in foster care;
Whereas there were approximately 252,000 youth that entered the foster care 
        system in 2012, while nearly 102,000 youth were eligible and awaiting 
        adoption at the end of 2012;
Whereas foster care is intended to be a temporary placement, but children remain 
        in the foster care system for an average of 2 years;
Whereas ethnic minority children are more likely to stay in the foster care 
        system for longer periods of time and are less likely to be reunited 
        with their biological families;
Whereas foster parents are the front-line caregivers for children who cannot 
        safely remain with their biological parents and provide physical care, 
        emotional support, education advocacy, and are the largest single source 
        of families providing permanent homes for children leaving foster care 
        to adoption;
Whereas children in foster care who are placed with relatives, compared to 
        children placed with nonrelatives, have more stability, including fewer 
        changes in placements, have more positive perceptions of their 
        placements, are more likely to be placed with their siblings, and 
        demonstrate fewer behavioral problems;
Whereas some relative caregivers receive less financial assistance and support 
        services than do foster caregivers;
Whereas recent studies show children in foster care are prescribed psychotropic 
        medication at rates up to 11 times higher than other children on 
        Medicaid and in amounts that exceed the Food and Drug Administration's 
        guidelines;
Whereas youth in foster care are much more likely to face educational 
        instability with 34 percent of foster youth ages 17 to 18 experiencing 
        at least 7 changes while in care;
Whereas youth in foster care are often cut off from other youth and face hurdles 
        in participating in activities common to their peers, such as sports or 
        extracurricular activities;
Whereas youth in foster care are more susceptible to being trafficked, and more 
        needs to be done to prevent, identify, and intervene when a child 
        becomes a victim of the crime;
Whereas an increased emphasis on prevention and reunification services is 
        necessary to reduce the number of children that are forced to remain in 
        the foster care system;
Whereas more than 23,400 youth ``age out'' of foster care annually without a 
        legal permanent connection to an adult or family;
Whereas children who age out of foster care 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 nearly half of children in foster care for five or more years experience 
        7 or more different foster care placements, which often leads to 
        disruption of routines and the need to change schools and move away from 
        siblings, extended families, and familiar surroundings;
Whereas children entering foster care often confront the widespread 
        misperception that children in foster care are disruptive, unruly, and 
        dangerous, even though placement in foster care is based on the actions 
        of a parent or guardian, not the child;
Whereas States, localities, and communities should be encouraged to invest 
        resources in preventative and reunification services and post-permanency 
        programs to ensure that more children in foster care are provided with 
        safe, loving, and permanent placements;
Whereas Federal legislation over the past three decades, including the Adoption 
        Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-272), the 
        Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-89), the 
        Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 
        (Public Law 110-351), the Child and Family Services Improvement and 
        Innovation Act (Public Law 112-34), and the Uninterrupted Scholars Act 
        (Public Law 112-278) provided new investments and services to improve 
        the outcomes of children in the foster care system;
Whereas the Children's Bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services has 
        designated May as National Foster Care Month under the theme ``to help 
        build blocks toward permanent families for foster youth'';
Whereas May would be an appropriate month to designate as National Foster Care 
        Month to provide an opportunity to acknowledge the accomplishments of 
        the child-welfare workforce, foster parents, advocacy community, and 
        mentors for their dedication, accomplishments, and positive impact they 
        have on the lives of children; 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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity 
        to raise awareness about the challenges that children face in 
        the foster care system;
            (2) encourages Congress to implement policy to improve the 
        lives of children in the foster care system and maximize the 
        number children exiting foster care to the protection of safe, 
        loving, and permanent families;
            (3) supports the designation of National Foster Care Month;
            (4) acknowledges the unique needs of children in the foster 
        care system;
            (5) recognizes foster youth throughout the United States 
        for their ongoing tenacity, courage, and resilience while 
        facing life challenges;
            (6) acknowledges the exceptional alumni of the foster care 
        system who serve as advocates and role models for youth who 
        remain in care;
            (7) honors the commitment and dedication of the individuals 
        who work tirelessly to provide assistance and services to 
        children in the foster care system; and
            (8) reaffirms the need to continue working to improve the 
        outcomes of all children in the foster care system through 
        parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        601 et seq.) and other programs designed to--
                    (A) support vulnerable families;
                    (B) invest in prevention and reunification 
                services;
                    (C) promote guardianship, adoption, and other 
                permanent placement opportunities in cases where 
                reunification is not in the best interests of the 
                child;
                    (D) adequately serve those children brought into 
                the foster care system; and
                    (E) facilitate the successful transition into 
                adulthood for children that ``age out'' of the foster 
                care system.
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