,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #fcg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september
 #ah1 #bjah ,mr4 ,wyden 7for himself1   
,mr4 ,hatch1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4        
,grassley1 ,ms4 ,heitkamp1 ,mr4 ,daines1
 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,roberts1 ,mr4 
,jones1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1   
,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,casey1   
and ,mr4 ,schumer7 submitted the        
following resolution2 which was referred
 to the ,committee on the ,judiciary    
,,resolution  ,designating ,september   
#bjah as ,national ,kinship ,care       
,month4  ,whereas1 in ,september #bjah1 
,national ,kinship ,care ,month is      
observed2 ,whereas1 nationally1         
#b1gjj1jjj children are living in       
kinship care with grandparents or other 
relatives2 ,whereas1 nationally1        
#adj1jjj children in foster care are    
placed with grandparents or other       
relatives1 with more than #b1efj1jjj    
kinship children supported outside of   
the foster care system2 ,whereas the    

percentage of kinship foster children   
has increased more than #aa percent     
since #bjjf2 ,whereas the number of     
non-relative foster parents continues to
 decrease and child welfare agencies are
 increasingly reliant on kinship        
families2 ,whereas children in kinship  
care experience improved placement      
stability1 higher levels of permanency1 
and decreased behavioral problems2      
,whereas kinship caregivers provide     
safety1 promote well-being1 and         
establish stable households for         
vulnerable children2 ,whereas           
grandparents and relatives residing in  
urban1 rural1 and suburban households in
 every ,state and territory of the      
,united ,states have stepped forward out
 of love and loyalty to care for        
children during times in which parents  
are unable to do so2 ,whereas many      
kinship caregivers give up their        
retirement years to assume parenting    
duties for children2 ,whereas           
grandparents and other relatives are    

increasingly providing caring homes for 
children because of the opioid crisis2  
,whereas1 because of parental substance 
use disorders and other adverse         
childhood experiences1 children in      
kinship care frequently have            
trauma-related conditions2 ,whereas     
kinship care homes offer a refuge for   
traumatized children2 ,whereas kinship  
care enables a child--  7#a7 to maintain
 family relationships and cultural      
heritage2 and  7#b7 to remain in the    
community of the child2  ,whereas       
kinship care is a national resource that
 provides loving homes for children at  
risk2 ,whereas the wisdom and compassion
 of kinship caregivers is a source of   
self-reliance and strength for countless
 children and for the entire ,united    
,states2 ,whereas kinship caregivers    
face daunting challenges to keep        
children from entering foster care2     
,whereas the ,senate is proud to        
recognize the many kinship care families
 in which a child is raised by          

grandparents or other relatives2        
,whereas the first president of the     
,united ,states1 ,george ,washington1   
and his wife ,martha were themselves    
kinship caregivers1 as were many other  
great people of the ,united ,states2    
,whereas the ,senate wishes to honor the
 many kinship caregivers1 who throughout
 the history of the ,united ,states have
 provided loving homes for children2    
,whereas ,national ,kinship ,care ,month
 provides an opportunity to urge people 
in every ,state to join in recognizing  
and celebrating kinship caregiving      
families and the tradition of families  
in the ,united ,states to help kin2     
,whereas1 in #bjah1 ,congress provided  
for kinship navigator programs and      
services in the ,family ,first          
,prevention ,services ,act enacted under
 title ,,vii of division ,e of the      
,bipartisan ,budget ,act of #bjah       
7,public ,law #aae-abc2 #acb ,stat4 #fd7
 and the ,consolidated ,appropriations  
,act1 #bjah 7,public ,law #aae-ada2 #acb

 ,stat4 #cdh72 ,whereas1 in #bjah1      
,congress provided for the formation of 
the ,advisory ,council to ,support      
,grandparents ,raising ,grandchildren to
 examine supports for grandparents and  
other kinship caregivers in the         
,supporting ,grandparents ,raising      
,grandchildren ,act 7,public ,law       
#aae-aif2 #acb ,stat4 #aeaa72 and       
,whereas more remains to be done to     
support kinship caregiving and to ensure
 that all children have a safe1 loving1 
nurturing1 and permanent family1        
regardless of age or special needs3     
,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that the       
,senate-- 7#a7 designates ,september    
#bjah as ,national ,kinship ,care       
,month2  7#b7 encourages ,congress1     
,states1 local governments1 and         
community organizations to continue to  
work to improve the lives of vulnerable 
children and families and to support the
 communities working together to lift   
them up2 and  7#c7 honors the commitment
 and dedication of kinship caregivers   

and the advocates and allies who work   
tirelessly to provide assistance and    
services to kinship caregiving families4