[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 83 (Tuesday, May 20, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H4171-H4173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                SENSE OF HOUSE REGARDING FOSTER PARENTS

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1185) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that Congress should recognize the important 
contributions of Americans who serve as foster parents and, in doing 
so, unselfishly open their homes and family lives to children in need.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1185

       Whereas the Nation's foster care system provides a 
     sanctuary for children who are unable to live safely in their 
     homes;
       Whereas in 2006, some 799,000 children spent at least 24 
     hours in foster care and, on any given day, roughly 510,000 
     children were in the Nation's foster care system;
       Whereas the primary goal of foster care is to ensure the 
     safety and well-being of children while working to 
     expeditiously provide children with a permanent, safe, and 
     loving home;
       Whereas via reunification with parents, adoption, or legal 
     guardianship, some 289,000 children left foster care in 2006 
     for a permanent home;
       Whereas 303,000 children entered foster care in 2006;
       Whereas more than 43 percent of the children that entered 
     foster care in 2005 were age 5 and younger;
       Whereas studies have found that a child's early years are 
     critical for his or her brain development, making it 
     extremely important for all children to live in a safe and 
     loving home during this critical period in their lives;
       Whereas in 2005, the median age of a child in foster care 
     was just over 10 years old and the median length of stay for 
     a child in foster care was nearly 16 months;
       Whereas while a majority of children living in foster care 
     had the goal of being reunified with their parents, nearly 20 
     percent of foster children were seeking adoption in 2005;
       Whereas each year as many as 24,000 teens will reach the 
     age of 18 while in foster care

[[Page H4172]]

     and age out of the system without finding a permanent family;
       Whereas on any given day in 2006, there were as many as 
     129,000 children in the foster care system waiting to be 
     adopted;
       Whereas in 2005, roughly 60 percent of the children who 
     left foster care for a permanent adoptive family were adopted 
     by their foster parents and another 25 percent were adopted 
     by relatives; and
       Whereas it would be appropriate to designate the month of 
     May 2008 as National Foster Care Month: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the United States House 
     of Representatives that--
       (1) all Americans should work together to strengthen 
     families and reduce the need of foster care placement for 
     children; and
       (2) Congress should continue its commitment to providing 
     critical assistance to children and families involved in the 
     foster care system through the title IV program in the Social 
     Security Act and other programs that are designed to help 
     children reunite with their parents or find a loving and 
     permanent home when they cannot return to their biological 
     parents.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. McDermott) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, every day another 850 American children 
enter foster care. If you go outside and walk along the Mall today, you 
will see cardboard cutouts of children. Another 850 representations 
will be added each day this week to help us all understand who are at 
risk and what is at stake. The fact is, most people are unaware of how 
many children are in foster care right now and how many more will be in 
foster care tomorrow. My hope is that the image of those cardboard 
cutouts will be so compelling that America will take and demand action.
  As the chairman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the foster 
care system, I want the House to make this issue as important as the 
children we need to help. Each child in this Nation deserves nothing 
less than a safe, loving home with a caregiver who ensures their 
physical and emotional well-being, supports their dreams in life and 
helps them become healthy and happy adults. For over a half a million 
children in our Nation, that home is not with their biological parents. 
Instead, the nurturing environment is found in the homes of foster 
families, who temporarily support a child until that child can either 
be safely returned to their biological parents or moved to a permanent 
home.
  What I just described in a few words doesn't begin to cover the 
heroic actions by Americans on behalf of foster children, so we are 
here today to mark the month of May as National Foster Care Month. It 
is a designation reserved for heroes, and there are hundreds of 
thousands of American heroes to be noticed and thanked. They are the 
people who open their homes and their hearts to children who are 
seeking sanctuary when they are no longer able to live safely in their 
homes. These people are the safety net for these children, the 
difference between hope and disaster.
  National Foster Care Month also recognizes the unsung heroes who work 
in the foster care system itself, these individuals who dedicate their 
lives to improving the well-being of children who are under the care of 
the State. Many of these dedicated people work for relatively little 
salary, with limited resources, and often face very dangerous 
situations. They do it because they care, and we are grateful.
  There isn't anything partisan about ensuring the safety and well-
being of children. We either meet our responsibility to protect these 
children, or we don't.

                              {time}  1100

  Lives indeed hang in the balance. That is why Congress must work 
together to improve our Nation's foster care system and to fully 
support these children, including those who age out of the foster care 
system each year and their caretakers, which includes grandparents and 
other relatives. It is up to us to ensure that the educational, 
medical, and emotional needs of foster children are met. It is up to us 
to make sure they know they are not alone. In truth, their outcomes in 
life are linked to our ability to guarantee that the State has the 
resources to provide these children with the assistance they need.
  Foster children should have the same opportunities in life that our 
other children have. It is up to us to guarantee that our Federal 
programs support that basic right.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing May 2008 as National 
Foster Care Month. We salute the tireless work of foster care parents, 
case workers, court personnel, service providers, and advocates, many 
of whom are former foster children, for their commitment to supporting 
vulnerable children across this Nation. We must recommit ourselves to 
working to improve the foster care system because of the lives of 
innocent children who are at stake, and we have the power to make a 
difference.
  I would like at this time to take one moment to recognize my 
colleague, Mr. Weller, who has been my ranking member on this 
subcommittee, and he and I have worked together hand in hand on this 
issue. This is not a partisan issue, and it has been a real pleasure to 
have Mr. Weller as my ranking member in this session of Congress. We 
have a bill coming which we hope this House will also approve at 
another time.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, likewise to the chairman of the 
subcommittee, which I have the privilege of serving as the ranking 
member, I just want to state that I enjoy working with you very much as 
well, and thank you for your compliment.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1185, recognizing May as 
National Foster Care Month. This resolution recognizes the enormous 
contribution of foster parents who care for so many vulnerable young 
people across America. And I want to commend its chief sponsors, 
Representative Jon Porter of Nevada and Chairman McDermott, for 
sponsoring and introducing this important resolution.
  The House is considering this resolution right between Mother's Day 
and Father's Day, which is appropriate, since foster parents step in to 
take the place of biological mothers and fathers. Taxpayers themselves 
contribute literally billions of dollars each year in Federal and State 
assistance to this important effort. But the most important part is the 
simple willingness of responsible adults to step in and care for kids 
who cannot safely remain with their own parents. For that, as this 
resolution expresses, the Nation says thank you.
  Many other people work to support foster parents through both public 
and private organizations and in paid and volunteer positions alike. We 
express our thanks to those dedicated people as well. One example in 
the congressional district I represent, groups like The Baby Fold, 
which provides a variety of services to support biological and foster 
families. We thank all of these individuals for their continuing effort 
and dedication to improving the lives of children and their families.
  In spite of all the hard work by individuals involved at all levels 
in the Nation's foster care system, more work is needed to ensure all 
children have a safe home, are protected from abuse, and have the best 
opportunities to lead a healthy and productive life.
  The Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, on which I 
serve as ranking member, has held numerous hearings in the past year on 
child welfare issues, reviewing whether foster children are receiving 
appropriate medical care, are being prescribed the right medications, 
are receiving the education they deserve, and are being adequately 
prepared for their life as adults. For some children, the answer to 
these questions is a ``yes,'' but for too many the answer is ``no.'' 
Too many children in foster care are behind their peers in terms of 
their health, education, and job prospects.
  So there is still much that we need to do to ensure that all children 
in foster care receive the care and support they need to overcome these 
obstacles and thrive as young adults.
  For those who cannot safely return home to their own parents, that 
means creating an environment providing as much love, support, and 
stability as possible. For some children, that may mean placement with 
relatives. For others, it involves the generosity and sacrifice of 
foster parents who step in when biological families don't work out.
  In addition to this resolution, as Chairman McDermott noted, he and I

[[Page H4173]]

are currently working on a bipartisan package of legislation that we 
intend to have designed to improve the foster care system: Expecting 
more educational stability and high school completion for foster 
children, improving health outcomes, keeping siblings together, and 
extending and improving a current incentive program that rewards States 
for increasing adoptions. These legislative changes would implement 
many of the recommendations our subcommittee has heard for improving 
the lives of children in foster care. But even with these improvements, 
the tens of thousands of dedicated foster parents and those who support 
them will continue to remain the backbone of our foster care system. On 
our Nation's effort to support children who cannot safely live with 
their own parents, we owe them our thanks and our continued support.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote for this important resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H. Res. 1185.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleague, Mr. McDermott, 
and urge the support of H. Res. 1185. Since being elected to public 
office, I have been in advocate for children in foster care; in part 
because 8 years ago my wife and I adopted two of our children from 
foster care.
  As a result, we became intimately aware of the status of America's 
foster care system. This resolution commends the hard work and 
sacrifice of the thousands of American families who care for foster 
children. As an adoptive foster parent, I know the joy these children 
bring. I also know that caring for children who, in some cases, have 
survived atrocious abuse and neglect can be extremely challenging. Many 
foster parents open their hearts and homes to children with the trauma 
and pain of a broken past. Many times these caregivers receive little 
or no support from the Federal government as they take in our Nation's 
most vulnerable young people.
  Despite record food prices, foster families across America stretch 
their budgets to feed additional children that they have welcomed into 
their homes. Despite rising gas prices; foster families do their best 
to drive children to schools, take them to doctor's appointments, and 
attend little league games--because they know that's the kind of 
support these children have never had. They do a great service for 
America, Mr. Speaker, and deserve to be commended for their efforts.
  While we recognize and commend their service, we need to do more to 
ensure a better future for these children when they leave foster homes. 
We need to do more to heal the minds and bodies of these children, so 
that the investment that foster parents have made in their lives is not 
lost to homelessness, drug addiction, and gang involvement that so many 
of these children turn to when they are abandoned again as they exit 
foster care.
  The public may not be aware that on the night of their 18th birthday, 
most states terminate all services for foster children. Parents know 
that most children in our society are not self-sufficient the day they 
turn 18. For example: we don't expect our children to afford health 
coverage when they turn 18. In fact, most parents retain their children 
under a family policy until age 23. Yet for the 26,000 vulnerable young 
Americans who age out of the foster care system, we eliminate their 
healthcare coverage the moment they turn 18. Mr. Speaker, we need to do 
better. We need to extend healthcare coverage for children in foster 
care to age 21. The pathway to extend coverage already exists in 
current law, but only 17 states have implemented this option and I 
believe it is a moral and societal imperative to make this the standard 
across our Nation. Without proper healthcare many of these youth end up 
another sad statistic.
  I know my good friend from Washington, Mr. McDermott, and I see eye-
to-eye on this issue. Both he and I have introduced legislation that 
would make these necessary changes to healthcare coverage for foster 
children. Mr. Speaker, I urge the rest of my colleagues to support this 
resolution and to do better for America's foster children.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, according to 2006 data, nationally, 799,000 
children have spent at least 24 hours in foster care and, on any given 
day, roughly 510,000 children were in the Nation's foster care system. 
In Nevada, there are currently 5,450 children receiving foster care, 
including 3,947 in Clark County.
  My district has faced some unique challenges recently. As Southern 
Nevadans, we recognize the need for a nurturing environment when 
biological parents abuse or neglect their own children. Foster families 
graciously open their doors, and offer love and guidance in the most 
difficult of circumstances. It is critical we honor these unsung 
heroes.
  I would like to thank Chairman McDermott for introducing this 
bipartisan legislation honoring the selfless service of foster families 
recognizing the critical role these individuals play in communities 
across the nation. In addition, the resolution will mark May as 
National Foster Care Month. I encourage all of my colleagues to support 
the generosity of foster parents in their districts and throughout the 
nation during the month of May.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1185.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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