[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6223-6224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 168--RECOGNIZING NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH AS AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF CHILDREN IN THE 
  FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, AND ENCOURAGING CONGRESS TO IMPLEMENT POLICY TO 
        IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM

  Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Kaine, Mrs. 
Feinstein, and Mr. Blunt) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 168

       Whereas National Foster Care Month was established more 
     than 20 years ago--
       (1) to bring foster care issues to the forefront of public 
     consciousness;
       (2) to highlight the importance of permanency for every 
     child; and

[[Page 6224]]

       (3) to 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 approximately 400,000 children are living in foster 
     care;
       Whereas nearly 255,000 youth entered the foster care system 
     in 2013, while more than 101,000 youth were eligible for and 
     awaiting adoption at the end of 2013;
       Whereas children of minority races and ethnicities 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--
       (1) are the front-line caregivers for children who cannot 
     safely remain with their biological parents;
       (2) provide physical care, emotional support, and education 
     advocacy to the children in their care; and
       (3) are the largest single source of families providing 
     permanent homes for children transitioning from 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 some relative caregivers receive less financial 
     assistance and support services than foster caregivers;
       Whereas children in foster care are 4 times more likely to 
     receive psychotropic medications than children enrolled in 
     Medicaid overall;
       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 
     foster care;
       Whereas an increased emphasis on prevention and 
     reunification services is necessary to reduce the number of 
     children who are forced to remain in the foster care system;
       Whereas more than 23,000 youth ``age out'' of foster care 
     annually without a legal permanent connection to an adult or 
     family;
       Whereas the number of youth who age out of foster care has 
     increased during the past decade;
       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 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 children entering foster care often confront the 
     widespread misperception that children in foster care are 
     disruptive, unruly, and dangerous, even though placement in 
     foster care is based on the actions of a parent or guardian, 
     not the child;
       Whereas children who age out of foster care lack the 
     security and 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 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 during 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), the Child and Family Services Improvement and 
     Innovation Act (Public Law 112-34), and the Preventing Sex 
     Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (Public Law 113-
     183) provided new investments and services to improve the 
     outcomes of children in the foster care system;
       Whereas May 2015 is an appropriate month to designate as 
     ``National Foster Care Month'' to provide an opportunity to 
     acknowledge the accomplishments of the child-welfare 
     workforce, foster parents, the advocacy community, and 
     mentors for their dedication, accomplishments, and positive 
     impact 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) supports the designation of May 2015 as ``National 
     Foster Care Month'';
       (2) recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity 
     to raise awareness about the challenges that children face in 
     the foster care system;
       (3) encourages Congress to implement policies to improve 
     the lives of children in the foster care system;
       (4) acknowledges the special needs of children in the 
     foster care system;
       (5) recognizes youth in foster care 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--
       (A) to support vulnerable families;
       (B) to invest in prevention and reunification services;
       (C) to promote adoption in cases where reunification is not 
     in the best interests of the child;
       (D) to adequately serve children brought into the foster 
     care system; and
       (E) to facilitate the successful transition into adulthood 
     for children who ``age out'' of the foster care system.

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