IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 531 

Expressing support for the designation of September 2017 as ‘‘National 

Kinship Care Month’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 

Ms. BASS (for herself, Mrs. BLACK, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, 

Mr. MARINO, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. 

MCSALLY, Mr. RICHMOND, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. 

BONAMICI, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. CLAY, 

Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. FUDGE, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. 

JEFFRIES, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of 

Georgia, Ms. LEE, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. 

LOWENTHAL, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. MOORE, Ms. NORTON, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. RUSH, Mr. 

STIVERS, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. KEATING, 

Mr. CORREA, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. 

BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. WILSON of Florida, 

Mr. ENGEL, Mr. EVANS, Mr. CRIST, Ms. ADAMS, and Mr. KHANNA) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Ways and Means 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of 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; 


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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; 

Whereas grandparents and other 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 House of Representatives is proud to recognize 

the many kinship care families in which a child is raised 

by grandparents or other relatives; 

Whereas the House of Representatives wishes to honor the 

many kinship caregivers who throughout the history of 

the United States have provided loving homes for 

parentless children; 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Kin3 ship 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 


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1 (C) to ensure that extended family mem2 bers who take on the role of kinship caregivers 

3 receive the necessary support. 

Æ 


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