IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 340 
Recognizing National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness 
about the challenges of children in the foster care system, and encour-
aging Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children 
in the foster care system. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 1, 2019 
Ms. BASS (for herself, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. 
DELBENE, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. 
TED LIEU of California, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. LOWENTHAL, 
Mr. COHEN, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mrs. DEMINGS, Ms. 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. FRANKEL, Mr. 
CICILLINE, Ms. NORTON, Mr. BACON, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. 
KELLY of Illinois, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. DEUTCH, 
Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. MITCHELL, Mr. 
CA´RDENAS, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. THOMPSON 
of California, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, 
Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. TAKANO, Mrs. 
DINGELL, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, 
Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. HILL of Arkansas, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. 
POCAN, Ms. MOORE, Ms. TITUS, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. CLARK 
of Massachusetts, and Mr. RUSH) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
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. 
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•HRES 340 IH 
Whereas National Foster Care Month was established more 
than 20 years ago to— 
(1) bring foster care issues to the forefront; 
(2) highlight the importance of permanency for 
every child; and 
(3) 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 en-
sure the safety and well-being of children while working 
to provide a safe, loving, and permanent home for each 
child; 
Whereas, in 2017, there were approximately 443,000 children 
living in foster care; 
Whereas there were approximately 269,690 youth that en-
tered the foster care system in 2017, while over 117,794 
youth were eligible and awaiting adoption at the end of 
2017; 
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 foster parents are the front-line caregivers for chil-
dren who cannot safely remain with their biological par-
ents and provide physical care, emotional support, edu-
cation advocacy, and are the largest single source of fam-
ilies providing permanent homes for children leaving fos-
ter care to adoption; 
Whereas children in foster care who are placed with relatives, 
compared to children placed with nonrelatives, have more 
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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 assist-
ance and support services than do foster caregivers; 
Whereas recent studies show foster children enrolled in Med-
icaid were prescribed antipsychotic medications at nearly 
4 times the rate of other children receiving Medicaid; 
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 
care; 
Whereas an increased emphasis on prevention and reunifica-
tion services is necessary to reduce the number of chil-
dren that are forced to remain in the foster care system; 
Whereas more than 19,945 youth ‘‘aged out’’ of foster care 
in 2017 without a legal permanent connection to an adult 
or family; 
Whereas the number of youth who age out of foster care has 
steadily increased for the past decade; 
Whereas foster care is intended to be a temporary placement, 
but children remain in the foster care system for an aver-
age of 19.2 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 sur-
roundings; 
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