IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 391 

Recognizing May as ‘‘National Foster Care Month’’ and acknowledging that 

the House of Representatives should continue to work to improve the 

Nation’s foster care system. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2009 

Mr. MCDERMOTT (for himself and Mr. LINDER) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing May as ‘‘National Foster Care Month’’ and acknowledging that the House of Representatives should 

continue to work to improve the Nation’s foster care 

system. 

Whereas on average, the Nation’s foster care system provides 

for more than a half a million children each day who are 

unable to live safely with their biological parents; 

Whereas National Foster Care Month provides an opportunity to recognize the important role that foster care 

parents, workers, and advocates have in the lives of children in the foster care system throughout the United 

States; 

Whereas the primary goal of the foster care system is to ensure the safety and well-being of children, while working 


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to provide such children with a permanent, safe, and loving home; 

Whereas foster parents give children the opportunity to live 

with families and make lasting attachments instead of 

living in institutions, where they face a reduced chance 

for permanency; 

Whereas States, localities, and communities should be encouraged to invest available resources on reunification services and post-permanency supports designed to allow 

more children in the foster care system to safely return 

to their biological parents, or find permanent placements 

through adoption or guardianship; 

Whereas children of color 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 293,000 children entered the foster care system during fiscal year 2007; 

Whereas in fiscal year 2007, there was an average of 131,000 

children in the foster care system each day who were 

waiting to be adopted; 

Whereas while a majority of children in the foster care system have the goal of being reunited with their biological 

parents, more than 23 percent of children who were in 

the foster care system on the last day of fiscal year 2007 

were seeking placement through the adoption process; 

Whereas the overall reduction in the number of children in 

the foster care system in the last decade does not reflect 

a decline in the level of Federal assistance necessary to 

assist those living in foster care and the dedicated men 

and women in the child welfare workforce; 


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Whereas the number of children ‘‘aging out’’ of the foster 

care system without finding a permanent family increased 

to an all-time high of nearly 28,000 in fiscal year 2007; 

Whereas children ‘‘aging out’’ of the foster care system lack 

the security of a biological or adoptive family to fall back 

on when struggling to secure affordable housing, obtain 

health insurance, pursue higher education, and acquire 

adequate employment; 

Whereas the foster care system is intended to be a temporary 

solution, however, on average, children remain in the system for at least 2 years; 

Whereas studies suggest that nearly 60 percent of children in 

the foster care system experience a chronic medical condition and 25 percent suffer from 3 or more chronic medical conditions; 

Whereas while in the foster care system, children experience 

an average of 3 different placements, moves that often 

mean disrupting routines, changing schools, and moving 

away from brothers and sisters, extended family, and familiar surroundings; 

Whereas the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–351) provided new investments and services to improve the outcomes of children and families in the foster care system; 

and 

Whereas all children deserve a loving and stable family, regardless of age or special needs: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of a ‘‘National 

3 Foster Care Month’’; 


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1 (2) acknowledges the needs of children in the 

2 foster care system; 

3 (3) honors the commitment and dedication of 

4 those individuals who work tirelessly to provide as5 sistance and services to children in the foster care 

6 system; and 

7 (4) recognizes the need to continue work to im8 prove outcomes of all children in the foster care sys9 tem through the title IV program in the Social Secu10 rity Act and other programs that are designed to 

11 help children in the foster care system reunite with 

12 their biological parents and, when children are un13 able to return to their biological parents, to find 

14 them a permanent, safe, and loving home. 

Æ 


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