III 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 533 

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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 17, 2010 

Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. 

CARDIN, Mr. BEGICH, Mr. KERRY, Mr. INHOFE, Ms. COLLINS, Ms. 

SNOWE, Mr. BAYH, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. AKAKA, Mrs. MURRAY, Mrs. 

GILLIBRAND, Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, Mr. CASEY, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. 

SPECTER, Mr. COCHRAN, and Mr. LAUTENBERG) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

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. 

Whereas all children deserve a safe, loving, and permanent 

home; 

Whereas approximately 500,000 children in the United States 

live in foster care each year; 


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•SRES 533 ATS 

Whereas children enter the foster care system for a variety 

of reasons, including inadequate care, abuse, or neglect 

by a parent or guardian; 

Whereas the major factors that contribute to the placement 

of a child in the foster care system include substance 

abuse, mental illness, poverty, and a lack of education of 

a parent or guardian of the child; 

Whereas a child entering the foster care system must confront the widespread misperception that children in foster 

care are disruptive, unruly, and dangerous, even though 

placement in the foster care system is based on the actions of a parent or guardian, not the child; 

Whereas States and communities should be provided with the 

resources to invest in preventative and reunification services and post-permanency programs to ensure that more 

children in the foster care system are provided safe, loving, permanent placements; 

Whereas the foster care system is intended to be a temporary 

solution, yet children remain in the foster care system for 

an average of 3 years; 

Whereas children of color are disproportionately represented 

in the foster care system and are less likely to be reunited with their biological families; 

Whereas the average child in the foster care system— 

(1) is 10 years old; and 

(2) will be placed in 3 different homes, leading to 

disruptive transfers to new schools, separation from siblings, and unfamiliar surroundings; 

Whereas most children ‘‘age out’’ of the foster care system 

at the age of 18; 


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Whereas the number of children who enter the foster care 

system each year has declined over the decade preceding 

the date of the agreement to this resolution, but the 

number of children who ‘‘age out’’ of the foster care system without placement with a permanent family has increased substantially, rising from 20,000 children in 

2002 to 29,000 children in 2008; 

Whereas children who ‘‘age out’’ of the foster care system 

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, of the children who have ‘‘aged out’’ of the foster 

care system— 

(1) 25 percent have been homeless; 

(2) 51 percent have been unemployed for significant 

stretch of time, and 

(3) only 2 percent have obtained a bachelor’s degree 

or higher; 

Whereas, by age 19, approximately 50 percent of young 

women who have been in the foster care system have 

been pregnant, compared to only 20 percent of young 

women who have been not in the foster care system; 

Whereas research reveals that children born to teen parents 

are exposed to serious and high risks; 

Whereas National Foster Care Month is an opportunity to 

raise awareness about the special needs of children in the 

foster care system and to recognize the important role 

that foster parents, social workers, and advocates have in 

the lives of children in foster care throughout the United 

States; 


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•SRES 533 ATS 

Whereas the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-351; 122 

Stat. 3949) provides for new investments and services to 

improve the outcomes of children and families in the foster care system; 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 Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes National Foster Care Month as 

3 an opportunity to raise awareness about the chal4 lenges of children in the foster care system; 

5 (2) encourages Congress to implement policy to 

6 improve the lives of children in the foster care sys7 tem; 

8 (3) supports the designation of a ‘‘National 

9 Foster Care Month’’; 

10 (4) acknowledges the needs of the children in 

11 the foster care system; 

12 (5) honors the commitment and dedication of 

13 those individuals who work tirelessly to provide as14 sistance and services to children in the foster care 

15 system; and 

16 (6) recognizes the need to continue working to 

17 improve the outcomes of all children in the foster 

18 care system through title IV of the Social Security 


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•SRES 533 ATS 

1 Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and other programs de2 signed to help children in the foster care system— 

3 (A) reunite with their biological parents; or 

4 (B) if the children cannot be reunited with 

5 their biological parents, find permanent, safe, 

6 and loving homes. 

Æ 


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