III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 264 

Designating September 2017 as ‘‘National Kinship Care Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 

Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. HATCH, Mr. CASEY, Mr. KAINE, and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating September 2017 as ‘‘National Kinship Care 

Month’’. 

Whereas in September 2017, ‘‘National Kinship Care Month’’ 

is observed; 

Whereas nationally 2,700,000 children are living in kinship 

care with grandparents or other relatives; 

Whereas nationally more than 125,000 kinship children in 

foster care are placed with grandparents or other relatives, with more than 2,570,000 kinship children supported outside of the foster care system; 

Whereas grandparents and other relatives are increasingly 

providing caring homes for children because of the opioid 

crisis; 


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•SRES 264 IS 

Whereas grandparents and relatives residing in urban, rural, 

and suburban households in every county of the United 

States have stepped forward out of love and loyalty to 

care for children during times in which biological parents 

are unable to do so; 

Whereas kinship caregivers provide safety, promote wellbeing, and establish stable households for vulnerable children; 

Whereas kinship care enables a child— 

(1) to maintain family relationships and cultural 

heritage; and 

(2) to remain in the community of the child; 

Whereas kinship care is a national resource that provides loving homes for children at risk; 

Whereas kinship caregivers face daunting challenges to keep 

countless children from entering foster care; 

Whereas the Senate is proud to recognize the many kinship 

care families in which a child is raised by grandparents 

or other relatives; 

Whereas the Senate wishes to honor the many kinship caregivers who throughout the history of the United States 

have provided loving homes for parentless children; 

Whereas National Kinship Care Month provides an opportunity to urge people in every State to join in recognizing 

and celebrating kinship caregiving families and the tradition of families in the United States to help raise 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 


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•SRES 264 IS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates September 2017 as ‘‘National 

3 Kinship Care Month’’; 

4 (2) encourages Congress to implement policies 

5 to improve the lives of vulnerable children and fami6 lies; 

7 (3) honors the commitment and dedication of 

8 kinship caregivers and the advocates and allies who 

9 work tirelessly to provide assistance and services to 

10 kinship caregiving families; and 

11 (4) reaffirms the need to continue working to 

12 improve the outcomes of all vulnerable children 

13 through parts B and E of title IV of the Social Se14 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), and other pro15 grams designed— 

16 (A) to support vulnerable families; 

17 (B) to invest in prevention and reunifica18 tion services; and 

19 (C) to ensure that extended family mem20 bers who take on the role of kinship caregivers 

21 receive the necessary support. 

Æ 


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