[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 159 (Wednesday, October 1, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10302]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RESOURCE FAMILY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION ACT

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I rise today to voice my support for 
the Resource Family Recruitment and Retention Act of 2008, which was 
introduced on September 16, 2008, by my good friend Senator Blanche 
Lincoln of Arkansas. This is an important piece of legislation, and I 
am proud to be an original cosponsor.
  I have long been a member of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption 
and worked in a bipartisan manner to support adoptive and foster 
parents and children. In 1997, I strongly advocated for the passage of 
the Adoption and Safe Families Act which has made a significant 
difference in the lives of vulnerable children. Since the 
implementation of the Adoption and Safe Families Act, the number of 
children adopted out of foster care has more than doubled. In West 
Virginia alone, more than 3,600 children have been adopted out of the 
West Virginia foster care system. This is a real victory for these 
children who deserve the love and comfort of a safe, permanent home.
  However, with more than 500,000 children still in foster care, it is 
clear that more needs to be done. This is why I was so pleased when the 
Senate passed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing 
Adoptions Act by unanimous consent. This legislation will provide 
additional support for grandparents and other relatives who provide a 
safe home for children in foster care. Additionally, this legislation 
will allow states to continue to assist older foster children, those 
who are 18, 19, 20, or 21 years old, so that these children aging out 
of the system do not have to choose between pursuing an education or 
working to prevent becoming homeless. I believe that this legislation 
is another step towards the ultimate goal of each child having a safe, 
permanent home.
  Senator Lincoln's legislation would also help bring us closer to this 
goal. A study conducted in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services found that one in five foster homes leaves the system 
each year. One-fifth of the foster parent population provides 60 to 80 
percent of all foster care. Foster parents sacrifice in tremendous ways 
to provide a home for vulnerable children. The Resource Family 
Recruitment and Retention Act would support their efforts by awarding 
grants to States to improve the leadership, support, training, 
recruitment, and retention of foster care, kinship care, and adoptive 
parents.
  It is my hope that organizations and individuals such as Mr. Dennis 
Sutton of the Children's Home Society of West Virginia, who has worked 
tirelessly in his effort to secure a home for all of West Virginia's 
vulnerable children, will have the financial support to find and retain 
enough foster parents to make this goal a reality. Foster and adoptive 
parents will greatly benefit from the Resource Family Recruitment and 
Retention Act, but the big winners will be the children who are placed 
loving homes. We need to invest and focus on these families.

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