Raising awareness of the impact of COVID-19 on bereaved children.

Bill: 117-hres-967
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
Introduced: 2022-03-07
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Child care and development

Child health

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Mental health

Minority health
Latest action: action_date: 2022-03-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-03-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution recognizes the impact of COVID-19 on children who have lost a caregiver during the pandemic and the disproportionate effect of this impact on racial and ethnic minorities.</p>

tv_txt: IV 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 967 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 7, 2022 Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself and Ms. Stevens ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Raising awareness of the impact of COVID–19 on bereaved children.

Whereas COVID–19 has taken the lives of more than 950,000 people in the United States, leading to more than 200,000 children experiencing caregiver loss; Whereas 1 in every 360 children under 18 have lost a coresiding caregiver to COVID–19, and 70 percent of caregiver loss affects children 13 and younger; Whereas 65 percent of caregiver loss to COVID–19 is experienced by children of color; Whereas an estimated 4,400,000 children will experience the loss of a parent before the age of 18 in the United States; Whereas child bereavement disproportionately impacts minority communities; Whereas children losing primary caregivers have a higher risk of experiencing substance abuse and mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder; Whereas bereaved children are at higher risk of reduced employment and housing instability, and experience lower rates of academic attainment and higher dropout rates; Whereas parental bereavement is associated with a higher likelihood of risky behaviors that threaten the health and safety of bereaved children; Whereas the impacts of caregiver loss on children are amplified during COVID–19 due to a lack of stable social support systems commonly provided with consistent school or community; and Whereas the long-term consequences of caregiver loss during the COVID–19 pandemic are still unknown: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes the impact of COVID–19 on bereaved children and the unknown long-term consequences of caregiver loss during the COVID–19 pandemic; (2) acknowledges that the loss of a primary caregiver disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities; and (3) calls upon the Federal Government to prioritize the needs of bereaved children through identifying services and resources that can be used to assist them.