[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 82 (Monday, June 4, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3689-S3690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the HELP
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 462 and
the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 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.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I further ask the resolution be
agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any
statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 462) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
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;
[[Page S3690]]
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.
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