[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27764]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              REGARDING SUPPORT OF SUBSIDIZED GUARDIANSHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PATRICK J. KENNEDY

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 7, 2005

  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the 
opportunity to express my enthusiastic support of subsidized 
guardianship. I understand that many times grandparents or other 
relatives become the primary caregivers to children who are not able to 
live with their parents. This can become a significant financial 
challenge and we must offer these families more resources. In my home 
state of Rhode Island, 4,176 grandparents were financially responsible 
for meeting their grandchild's basic needs in 2003. Subsidized 
guardianship programs, which are increasingly used by states around the 
country--including Rhode Island--allow children living safely with 
relatives to exit formal foster care and achieve legal permanence. That 
is why I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 3380, The Guardianship 
Assistance Promotion and Kinship Support Act, which would allow the use 
of federal funding to support subsidized guardianship programs.
  Today I offer my formal acknowledgement and deepest appreciation for 
the ongoing service of these caregivers to our country and our nation's 
most valuable asset, our children.

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