[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 70 (Wednesday, May 16, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3236-S3238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 462--RECOGNIZING NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH AS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES FACED BY CHILDREN
IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, ACKNOWLEDGING THE DEDICATION OF FOSTER CARE
PARENTS, ADVOCATES, AND WORKERS, AND ENCOURAGING CONGRESS TO IMPLEMENT
POLICY TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM
Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself and Mr. Grassley) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions:
S. Res. 462
Whereas National Foster Care Month was established more
than 20 years ago to bring foster care issues to the
forefront, highlight the importance of permanency for every
child, and recognize the essential role that foster parents,
social workers, and advocates have in the lives of children
in foster care throughout the United States;
Whereas all children deserve a safe, loving, and permanent
home;
Whereas the primary goal of the foster care system is to
ensure the safety and well-being of children while working to
provide a safe, loving, and permanent home for each child;
Whereas there are approximately 408,000 children living in
foster care;
Whereas there were approximately 254,000 youth that entered
the foster care system in 2010, while over 107,000 youth were
eligible and awaiting adoption at the end of 2010;
Whereas children in foster care experience an average of 3
different placements, which often leads to disruption of
routines and the need to change schools and move away from
siblings, extended families, and familiar surroundings;
Whereas youth in foster care are much more likely to face
educational instability with 65 percent of former foster
children experiencing at least 7 school changes while in
care;
Whereas children of color are more likely to stay in the
foster care system for longer periods of time and are less
likely to be reunited with their biological families;
Whereas foster parents are the front-line caregivers for
children who cannot safely remain with their biological
parents and provide physical care, emotional support,
education advocacy, and are the largest single source of
families providing permanent homes for children leaving
foster care to adoption;
Whereas children in foster care who are placed with
relatives, compared to children placed with nonrelatives,
have more stability, including fewer changes in placements,
have more positive perceptions of their placements, are more
likely to be placed with their siblings, and demonstrate
fewer behavioral problems;
Whereas an increased emphasis on prevention and
reunification services is necessary to reduce the number of
children that are forced to remain in the foster care system;
Whereas more than 27,900 youth ``age out'' of foster care
without a legal permanent connection to an adult or family;
Whereas children who age out of foster care may lack the
security or support of a biological or adoptive family and
frequently struggle to secure affordable housing, obtain
health insurance, pursue higher education, and acquire
adequate employment;
Whereas foster care is intended to be a temporary
placement, but children remain in the foster care system for
an average of 2 years;
Whereas volunteers, guardians, mentors, and workers in the
child-protective-services community play a vital role in
improving the safety of the most valuable youth and work hard
to increase permanency through reunification, adoption, and
guardianship;
Whereas due to heavy caseloads and limited resources, the
average tenure for a worker in child protection services is
just 3 years;
Whereas on average, 8.5 percent of the positions in child
protective services remain vacant;
Whereas States, localities, and communities should be
encouraged to invest resources in preventative and
reunification services and postpermanency programs to ensure
that more children in foster care are provided with safe,
loving, and permanent placements;
Whereas Federal legislation over the past 3 decades,
including the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of
1980 (Public Law 96 272), the Adoption and Safe Families Act
of 1997 (Public Law 105 89), the Fostering Connections to
Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110
351), and the Child and Family Services Improvement and
Innovation Act (Public Law 112 34) provided new investments
and services to improve the outcomes of children in the
foster care system;
Whereas May is an appropriate month to designate as
National Foster Care Month to provide an opportunity to
acknowledge the child-welfare workforce, foster parents,
advocacy community, and mentors for their dedication,
accomplishments, and positive impact they have on the lives
of children; and
Whereas much remains to be done 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) recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity
to raise awareness about the challenges faced by children in
the foster care system, acknowledging the dedication of
foster care parents, advocates, and workers, and encouraging
Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children
in the foster care system;
(2) encourages Congress to implement policy to improve the
lives of children in the foster care system;
(3) supports the designation of May as National Foster Care
Month;
(4) acknowledges the special needs of children in the
foster care system;
(5) recognizes foster youth throughout the United States
for their ongoing tenacity, courage, and resilience while
facing life challenges,
(6) acknowledges the exceptional alumni of the foster care
system who serve as advocates and role models for youth who
remain in care;
(7) honors the commitment and dedication of the individuals
who work tirelessly to provide assistance and services to
children in the foster care system; and
(8) reaffirms the need to continue working to improve the
outcomes of all children in the foster care system through
parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and other programs designed to--
(A) support vulnerable families;
(B) invest in prevention and reunification services;
(C) promote adoption and guardianship in cases where
reunification is not in the best interests of the child;
(D) adequately serve those children brought into the foster
care system; and
(E) facilitate the successful transition into adulthood for
children that ``age out'' of the foster care system.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, as cofounders and cochairs of the Senate
Caucus on Foster Youth, Senator Landrieu and I offer a resolution to
recognize May as National Foster Care Month.
The resolution is an opportunity to raise awareness about the
challenges faced by children in the foster care system. It is also a
time to acknowledge the dedication of foster care parents, advocates,
and workers who are changing the lives of children every day.
[[Page S3237]]
National Foster Care Month was established more than 20 years ago to
bring foster care issues to the forefront. Today we continue to see
almost a half million children who are unable to remain at home because
of abuse or neglect or because of other family issues.
During this separation, foster youth face loneliness, instability,
and grief. Unfortunately, children in foster care experience an average
of three different placements which often lead to disruption of
routines. Some are required to change schools and move away from
siblings, extended families, and familiar surroundings. They face
educational instability and, as a result, score lower on all academic
measures than peers.
Foster youth have to overcome misperceptions and stigmas and deal
with emotional pain and trauma that comes from such separation. It
becomes a reality for many children every day. In 2010, about 254,000
children entered into care. While many are reunified with their
families or adopted into new ones, more than 107,000 children were
awaiting adoption at the end of 2010.
The Senate Caucus on Foster Youth is providing a voice for these
foster young people. Senator Landrieu and I founded this caucus in 2009
to raise awareness of issues challenging foster youth, including
educational stability, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and the
overprescription of psychotropic drugs.
We hear from youth about policies that affect their quality of life.
Among other activities, the caucus sponsors a speakers series to bring
the best ideas from the field to us policymakers in Washington, DC.
Today I invite my colleagues to join us on this caucus, to get
involved and to make a difference. Senator Landrieu and I created the
foster care caucus in the Senate to focus on all youth in the system,
but we have particular focus on older children who may lack the
security or support of a biological or adoptive family. These kids tend
to age out of the foster care system, then struggle in creating a
stable life that many of us often take for granted. More than 27,900
youth age out of foster care without a legal, permanent connection to
an adult or family. We must focus on how to reduce this number from
year to year. We have made great strides over the years, and we have
done so in a bipartisan manner.
In 2006, the Senate Finance Committee held the first hearings on
child welfare in more than a decade. The hearings led to passage of the
Child and Family Services Improvement Act, which improved programs
designed to help troubled families, provided grants for States and
community organizations to combat methamphetamine addiction and other
substance abuse, and increased case worker visits for children in
foster care. It also supported grants to strengthen and improve
collaboration between courts and child welfare agencies.
In 2008 I introduced the bill that became the Fostering Connection to
Success and Increasing Adoption Act. This bipartisan bill made it
easier for children to stay in their own communities and be adopted by
their own relatives, including grandparents, aunts, and uncles. It
provided incentives for States to move children from foster care to
permanent adoptive homes, and it made all children with special needs
eligible for Federal adoption assistance.
The law also broke new ground by establishing opportunities to help
kids who age out of the foster care system at age 18 by giving States
the option to extend their care in helping them pursue educational and
vocational training.
Last year, to try to prevent children from having to enter the foster
care system in the first place, I worked to reauthorize grants that
support families who struggle with substance abuse and improve the
safety, permanency, and well-being of children who are not in their
homes or are likely to be removed from their homes because of substance
abuse by parents.
Children in the foster care system yearn for permanency, and these
grants help keep families together when possible so the children are
not subject to the many difficulties they face in the foster care
system.
But Congress, as you know, must be vigilant. We must always keep our
eyes on the prize; that is, a safe, loving and permanent home for every
child. We must always stress prevention as well as reunification and
the reunification services because these two key components are
necessary to reduce the number of children who are forced to remain in
foster care.
Finally, let me take a moment to pay tribute to many volunteers,
guardians, mentors, and workers in the child protective service
community. Every person in this field plays a vital role in improving
the safety of our most vulnerable youth, and our country is better off
for that. They are dedicated and important to thousands of children and
can be very positive influences for families across the country.
This month of May is the time to pay tribute to the community. It is
time to remember these young people. More important, it is time to
encourage others to get involved and, hence, make a difference. It is
my hope that this awareness will extend beyond me, and people will
recognize the need to step up and to fight for these vulnerable youth
on a daily basis. I encourage Members to cosponsor our resolution, and
I especially appreciate the cooperation and working relationship I have
had with Senator Landrieu on this subject of adoption, foster care,
and, in particular, for aging-out young people.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I appreciate the eloquent statement our
colleague from Iowa has put into the Record and his passionate advocacy
on behalf of this special group of children in America. From his
position as senior member on the Finance Committee, both serving as
chair and as ranking member, his support has been essential to their
well-being. In a committee that has a lot of important issues, from tax
reform to international trade, the Senator from Iowa, Mr. Grassley,
never fails to keep the needs of foster care children and their
families and the support community on the front of that agenda. I could
not have a better partner, and I am very grateful for his partnership
on this issue and his friendship.
I also want to recognize some of our colleagues from the House:
Representative Karen Bass, Representative Tom Marino, Representative
Michele Bachman, and Representative Jim McDermott, who worked very
closely with Senator Grassley and myself. As you can see, this is
across party lines, across geographic lines, and across different
political philosophies.
We want to say one thing very loud and clear to the country: Foster
children are not criminals. They are not delinquents. They are children
who are in desperate need of love and care and support. Our foster care
system in many ways works beautifully and in some ways needs, of
course, to be fixed, repaired, and strengthened. But overall the foster
care system should, at all times, be temporary. It is a temporary place
for children to go to be protected and healed and nurtured until they
can be returned to their birth family or to their extended family with
sibling groups intact or until they can be processed to a kinship
adoption, which Senator Grassley has been a tremendous advocate for, or
to a domestic adoption.
I cannot add anything to the very excellent and comprehensive
statement the Senator made. I would like to add just a few points.
Because of the work many of us have done--and we do not hear good news
around here that often, so I want to share that in the last 20 years,
because of the work that our group has done, and others in the
Congress, we have doubled the amount of children being adopted out of
the foster care system. That is a tremendous victory because of the
legislation that has been passed, the focus across party lines.
In 1990 we only adopted 14,000 children out of foster care. In the
last year of record, 2010, we adopted 53,000. It is a tripling of
adoptions out of foster care.
I do not have the numbers in front of me for reunifications, but
Senator Grassley and I know that number has increased as well. We are
making progress in the bills we are proposing and passing, the
appropriations that we are investing. It has not been a lot more money
over the last few years. It
[[Page S3238]]
has just been a real strategic focus which I would like to believe our
caucus and the adoption caucus as well, the foster care caucus, has
helped to produce.
We have had more adoptions out of foster care. We have had more
reunifications out of foster care. We have shortened the time that
children are in foster care. But we have, and in this month of May
still have, many challenges. That is why Senator Grassley and I urge
our colleagues to join us in this resolution, S. Res. 462. Be a
cosponsor. Step up and say by your cosponsorship that you care about
this issue, that you want to help us continue to make progress.
I want to remember our former colleague, John Chafee, who, when he
was in the Senate, was an extraordinary advocate for foster care
children. We named the John Chafee Foster Care Independence Program in
his honor. As Senator Grassley said, we are making progress with
helping our children who age out when we failed to reunite them with
their birth family, we failed to find them an adoptive home. They are
aging out, but we are trying to give them more help and support. That
is still a challenge.
Some of our Members are working on foster children and school choice.
If children are brought into the foster care system and they are
separated from their families, it is quite traumatic. Of course it is
for their own good. Sometimes their families are being abusive.
Sometimes their families are being grossly negligent. Unfortunately, in
this day and age sometimes their families are deported and they are in
the home alone. We want to make sure the children get to stay at least
in the school of their choice. It is one thing to be pulled from your
family; it is another thing to have to lose your family 1 day and your
school the next day and all of your teachers, all of your friends.
There is legislation pending that would give foster children the
opportunity to stay in the school they are in when they enter care, if
that is their choice. That would be a great reform.
We also want to continue to promote kinship adoption, reaching out to
the extended family, trying to keep children placed in their extended
families who are willing and responsible to raise them--but not placing
children with kin if the kin or the relatives are not responsible and
not willing; that is not a solution.
Finally, we want to promote quality foster families. This is a
problem that is easily solvable. It seems like it is a lot, this
number, 450-some-odd thousand children. But it represents only one-half
of 1 percent of all children in America. This is not a big number. It
sounds like it when we say 450,000, but the percentage, one-half of 1
percent--we calculated it 1 day on just the back of a napkin. If one
family for every four churches in America would say yes to taking in a
foster child or to adopt a child out of foster care, there would be no
more orphans in our country.
Again, if one family out of every four churches stepped up for the
children available for adoption, we would have no more orphans in
America. Then we could focus on recruiting quality foster families who
can help these children to find their way--to find their way back to
their biological families with their sibling groups intact or find
their way to a new family who will love them and nurture them and
protect them and support them forever.
That is what families do. We do not support our children until they
are 18 and let them go on their merry way. We are with them until the
last breath. That is what parents do. We are with our children forever.
Every child in this world deserves a forever family.
Senator Grassley and I have come together. We work to strengthen our
foster care system. We know it is broken in places. We know it can be
fixed. We work on fixing it every day.
I thank our colleagues who have joined us in just recognizing Foster
Care Month. As Senator Grassley said in his conclusion, and I will say
in mine, we want to thank everyone who helps on this every month of the
year, not just May. We want to thank the teachers who reach out
especially to the foster children they know are in their classrooms. We
want to thank the judges who process their cases quickly.
I particularly want to thank the CASA workers. I am a big believer in
CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates. I think it is a great
organization for all the volunteers who worked to help make our foster
care system in America better.
Again, this is S. Res. 462.
I would like to thank our counterparts in the House.
It has been a real joy and pleasure to work with Senator Grassley
these many years on helping to promote the very best practices in the
country on reforming our foster care system in America and trying to
help who we can around the world.
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