Resolution Spotlights Foster Care: Acknowledges National Month, Urges Congress to Bolster Support for 369,000+ Children

This resolution formally designates National Foster Care Month, aiming to cast a brighter light on the significant challenges faced by children and youth within the foster care system. It's not a law that changes rules overnight, but rather a strong statement recognizing the tough realities—like the fact that in 2022, around 369,000 children were in foster care, with nearly 110,000 of them waiting for a permanent family through adoption. The core purpose is to raise public awareness and officially encourage Congress to step up and implement policies that genuinely improve life for these kids, including those at risk of entering the system.

The Realities on Record

The resolution doesn't pull punches on the issues. It specifically points out the uphill battle for many: the disproportionate number of children of color in the system, the critical importance of placing kids with relatives (kinship care) whenever possible, and concerns over things like how often medication is prescribed. It also highlights a big one: educational instability. Think about it – bouncing between homes often means bouncing between schools, making it tough for kids to keep up.

A key term you'll see is "permanency." This isn't just jargon; it means finding a stable, lasting home for a child, whether that's back with their birth family, with adoptive parents, or with legal guardians. The resolution also gives a nod to the incredible dedication of foster parents, social workers, and advocates who are in the trenches every day. It specifically acknowledges the more than 20,000 young people who "age out" of foster care each year, often around 18 or 21, without a permanent family connection, facing higher risks of homelessness and other difficulties. For these young adults, the transition can be like stepping off a cliff without a safety net.

A Call for Congressional Action

So, what does this resolution do? It officially encourages Congress to get to work. It's a clear signal that lawmakers should prioritize and implement policies to better support children in foster care. The focus areas are pretty comprehensive: boosting prevention services to keep families together safely, improving efforts for reunification when it's appropriate, promoting adoption when it's the best path to permanency, and ensuring children actually in the system get the specific support they need. A big piece of this is also smoothing the transition to adulthood for those youth who age out, helping them land on their feet.

The resolution recognizes that this isn't starting from scratch. It acknowledges several existing laws like the Family First Prevention Services Act (which aims to fund services to prevent kids from entering foster care in the first place), the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (which focused on child safety and timely permanency), the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (supporting relative caregivers and older youth), the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (improving caseworker visits and addressing trauma), and the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act. The message is clear: these are good foundations, but more needs to be done.

Building on Existing Foundations

The resolution specifically mentions the need to improve outcomes through parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act. In plain English, these are the main federal funding streams and rules that states use for child welfare services (Part B) and for foster care payments and adoption assistance (Part E). So, when the resolution talks about investing in prevention, early intervention, and reunification, or facilitating successful transitions to adulthood, it's largely looking at how these existing federal frameworks can be strengthened or better utilized. It's about making the current system work better for the kids it's designed to protect. While this resolution itself doesn't allocate new money or create new programs, it serves as an official commendation for those involved and a strong recommendation for future legislative action, championing the resilience of foster youth and the dedication of those who support them.