[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 29, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7636-S7639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 630--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTING FOSTER 
  YOUTH TO THE WORKFORCE THROUGH INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS, AND ENCOURAGING 
        EMPLOYERS TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT OF FORMER FOSTER YOUTH.

  Mrs. CLINTON (for herself, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Casey, Mrs. Boxer, and 
Mrs. Murray) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                              S. Res. 630

       Whereas, on any given day, there are more than 500,000 
     youth in foster care in the United States;
       Whereas an estimated 26,000 of these youth are discharged 
     from the foster care system or ``age out'' with few or no 
     resources to start their own lives;
       Whereas the people of the United States have a sincere 
     appreciation for the circumstances that place children in 
     foster care;
       Whereas foster youth possess unique qualities and skills 
     that make them ideal candidates for employment, but compared 
     to youth nationally and youth from low-income families, they 
     are less likely to be employed or employed regularly;
       Whereas, when afforded comprehensive support, this 
     resilient population excels in the job market;
       Whereas, within 18 months after leaving foster care, 25 
     percent of foster youth become homeless, and former foster 
     youth comprise more than a quarter of the United States 
     homeless population;
       Whereas, without positive intervention, youth who age out 
     of foster care often have bouts of homelessness, criminal 
     activity, and incarceration;
       Whereas addressing job readiness early in the transition to 
     adulthood is critical to shaping the future trajectories of 
     these youth; and
       Whereas youth who begin connecting to the workforce prior 
     to discharge from foster care maintain the highest 
     probability of employment: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the importance of connecting foster youth to 
     the workforce through internship programs, such as the Orphan 
     Foundation of America's InternAmerica program and other 
     programs, that provide to foster youth the foundation upon 
     which to build their careers and to be successful members of 
     the workforce; and
       (2) encourages employers of all sectors and Federal, State, 
     and local governmental agencies to increase employment of the 
     young men and women who have been discharged from foster care 
     in the United States.

  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce a 
resolution that recognizes the importance of connecting foster youth to 
internship and employment opportunities. I thank Congressmen Cardoza, 
McDermott, and Fattah for raising this important

[[Page S7639]]

matter in the House of Representatives, and I am proud to give voice to 
the issue in the Senate.
  According to the most recent statistics available, 26,000 youth aged 
out of foster care in fiscal year 2006. Though many of these youth have 
characteristics that make them ideal for employment, research shows 
they have few resources for self-sufficiency and are less likely to be 
regularly employed than their counterparts in the general population. 
Because of the instability they experience in foster care, these young 
adults do not have access to the same kinds of family and community 
resources that often link young people to jobs and internships.
  That is why I am introducing a resolution today recognizing how 
critical it is for foster youth to be connected to internship and 
employment opportunities as they transition from foster care to life on 
their own. This resolution expresses the importance of linking these 
youth to the workforce through internships and encourages employers to 
increase their hiring of former foster youth.
  Throughout my career, I have been an advocate for foster youth. As 
First Lady, I worked towards enacting the Foster Care Independence Act 
of 1999, legislation that doubled funding for the Federal Independent 
Living Program and helps youth in foster care earn a high school 
diploma, participate in vocational training or education, and learn 
daily living skills. The legislation also extends services to youth up 
to age 21, which enables more of these young adults to obtain a college 
education and allows states to provide them with financial assistance 
as they learn skills to enter the workforce. In the Senate, I have 
introduced legislation addressing the needs of foster youth. Most 
recently, I introduced the Focusing Investments and Resources for a 
Safe Transition (FIRST) Act, legislation that enables states to 
establish Individual Development Accounts for youth aging out of foster 
care.
  Over the years, I have hosted several foster youth interns in my 
Senate office through programs sponsored by the Orphan Foundation of 
America and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. I know 
firsthand that these individuals have extraordinary talent and 
potential, and have seen many of them go on to graduate school, law 
school, and the workforce; flourished by the experience. Without 
meaningful connections to employment, however, many foster youth will 
experience obstacles to building successful, independent lives. I 
encourage my colleagues to participate in the various internship 
programs that bring these young and talented individuals to work in the 
Congress and it is my hope that my colleagues will join me in 
expressing the Senate's support for foster youth as these young adults 
strive toward bright futures.

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