[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S10561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           KINSHIP CAREGIVERS

  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the important 
work of kinship caregivers across the Nation and to commend the 
Edgewood Center for Children and Families in San Francisco, CA, for its 
long-spanning commitment to caring for children.
  Kinship caregivers are making a real difference in the lives of 
children all across our country. According to the Census, more than 6 
million children--1 in 12--live in households headed by grandparents or 
other relatives. Similarly, a study conducted by the American 
Association of Retired Persons found that the number of children living 
in grandparent-headed households increased by 30 percent between 1990 
and 2000. Unfortunately, while grandparents and other relatives have 
stepped forward to provide safe and loving homes for the children in 
their care, they also often face great difficulties in achieving 
emotional and financial stability.
  With millions of children still in need of loving, permanent homes 
and countless grandparents and relatives willing to raise these 
children who need our support, there is more work to be done. The 
Edgewood Center for Children and Families is the oldest children's 
charity in the western United States serving children and families that 
provides a national model for keeping families intact. Edgewood 
Center's Kinship Support Network is the first program in the nation to 
provide comprehensive, private-sector support services to relative 
caregiver families. This program uses mentoring, support groups, and 
training to prepare grandparents and relatives for parenting, while 
providing tutoring, independent living skills, and mental health care 
for adopted children. Last year, as many as 95.5 percent of the 
children in Edgewood's program either remained with their kinship 
families or were reunited with their parents, and less than 2 percent 
had to be moved into foster care. This is an enormous success 
considering that only 78 percent of Kinship families remained stable in 
the years prior to the inception of Edgewood's programs.
  In July, I introduced the Kinship Caregiver Support Act, S. 2706, to 
establish community ``kinship navigator'' programs with services 
similar to the Edgewood's Kinship Support Networks. My legislation 
would also help ease the financial burden of kinship caregivers so that 
these families receive the financial support they need. I look forward 
to working with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure passage of the 
Kinship Caregiver Support Act so that we help strengthen kinship 
families all across America.
  Again, I commend the Edgewood Center for Children and Families for 
its tradition of excellence in providing services to kinship caregivers 
and extend my best wishes for continued success in the future.

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