[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 637 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 637

     Designating September 2018 as ``National Kinship Care Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 18, 2018

   Mr. Wyden (for himself, Mr. Hatch, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Grassley, Ms. 
   Heitkamp, Mr. Daines, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Jones, Mr. 
Brown, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Kaine, Mr. King, Mr. Casey, and Mr. Schumer) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Designating September 2018 as ``National Kinship Care Month''.

Whereas, in September 2018, ``National Kinship Care Month'' is observed;
Whereas, nationally, 2,700,000 children are living in kinship care with 
        grandparents or other relatives;
Whereas, nationally, 140,000 children in foster care are placed with 
        grandparents or other relatives, with more than 2,560,000 kinship 
        children supported outside of the foster care system;
Whereas the percentage of kinship foster children has increased more than 11 
        percent since 2006;
Whereas the number of non-relative foster parents continues to decrease and 
        child welfare agencies are increasingly reliant on kinship families;
Whereas children in kinship care experience improved placement stability, higher 
        levels of permanency, and decreased behavioral problems;
Whereas kinship caregivers provide safety, promote well-being, and establish 
        stable households for vulnerable children;
Whereas grandparents and relatives residing in urban, rural, and suburban 
        households in every State and territory of the United States have 
        stepped forward out of love and loyalty to care for children during 
        times in which parents are unable to do so;
Whereas many kinship caregivers give up their retirement years to assume 
        parenting duties for children;
Whereas grandparents and other relatives are increasingly providing caring homes 
        for children because of the opioid crisis;
Whereas, because of parental substance use disorders and other adverse childhood 
        experiences, children in kinship care frequently have trauma-related 
        conditions;
Whereas kinship care homes offer a refuge for traumatized children;
Whereas kinship care enables a child--

    (1) to maintain family relationships and cultural heritage; and

    (2) to remain in the community of the child;

Whereas kinship care is a national resource that provides loving homes for 
        children at risk;
Whereas the wisdom and compassion of kinship caregivers is a source of self-
        reliance and strength for countless children and for the entire United 
        States;
Whereas kinship caregivers face daunting challenges to keep children from 
        entering foster care;
Whereas the Senate is proud to recognize the many kinship care families in which 
        a child is raised by grandparents or other relatives;
Whereas the first president of the United States, George Washington, and his 
        wife Martha were themselves kinship caregivers, as were many other great 
        people of the United States;
Whereas the Senate wishes to honor the many kinship caregivers, who throughout 
        the history of the United States have provided loving homes for 
        children;
Whereas National Kinship Care Month provides an opportunity to urge people in 
        every State to join in recognizing and celebrating kinship caregiving 
        families and the tradition of families in the United States to help kin;
Whereas, in 2018, Congress provided for kinship navigator programs and services 
        in the Family First Prevention Services Act enacted under title VII of 
        division E of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-123; 132 
        Stat. 64) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-
        141; 132 Stat. 348);
Whereas, in 2018, Congress provided for the formation of the Advisory Council to 
        Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren to examine supports for 
        grandparents and other kinship caregivers in the Supporting Grandparents 
        Raising Grandchildren Act (Public Law 115-196; 132 Stat. 1511); and
Whereas more remains to be done to support kinship caregiving and 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) designates September 2018 as ``National Kinship Care 
        Month'';
            (2) encourages Congress, States, local governments, and 
        community organizations to continue to work to improve the 
        lives of vulnerable children and families and to support the 
        communities working together to lift them up; and
            (3) honors the commitment and dedication of kinship 
        caregivers and the advocates and allies who work tirelessly to 
        provide assistance and services to kinship caregiving families.
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