,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #aaja  ,,in ,,the ,,house    
,,of ,,representatives  ,september #aa1 
#bjbj,ms4 ,bass 7for herself1 ,mr4      
,bacon1 ,mrs4 ,lawrence1 ,mr4 ,mitchell1
 ,mr4 ,langevin1 and ,mrs4 ,lesko7      
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,ways and ,means  ,,resolution          
,expressing support for the designation 
of ,september #bjbj as ,national        
,kinship ,care ,month4  ,whereas1 in    
,september #bjbj1 ,national ,kinship    
,care ,month is observed2 ,whereas1     
nationally1 #b1hjj1jjj children are     
living in kinship care with             
grandparents1 other relatives1 and      
family friends 7also referred to as     
fictive kin72 ,whereas1 nationally1 more
 than #acc1dje kinship children in      
foster care are placed in kinship foster
 care1 with more than #b1ffg1jjj kinship
 children supported outside of the      
foster care system2 ,whereas            
grandparents and other relatives are    

increasingly providing caring homes for 
children because of the opioid crisis2  
,whereas grandparents and other         
relatives residing in urban1 rural1 and 
suburban households in every county of  
the ,united ,states have stepped forward
 out of love and loyalty to care for    
children during times in which          
biological parents are unable to do so2 
,whereas kinship caregivers provide     
safety1 promote well-being1 and         
establish stable households for         
vulnerable 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 kinship caregivers face  
daunting challenges to keep countless   
children from entering foster care2     
,whereas the ,house of ,representatives 
is proud to recognize the many kinship  
care families in which a child is raised

 by grandparents or other relatives2    
,whereas the ,house of ,representatives 
wishes to honor the many kinship        
caregivers who throughout the history of
 the ,united ,states have provided      
loving homes for parentless 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 raise    
children2 ,whereas much remains to be   
done to ensure that all children have a 
safe1 loving1 nurturing1 and permanent  
family1 regardless of age or special    
needs2 ,whereas1 during the ,,covid-#ai 
pandemic1 kinship caregivers who are    
often older grandparents with health    
vulnerabilities are parenting children  
in their homes1 often without supports2 
,whereas1 since more that #dj ,states   
and the ,district of ,columbia have over
 #cjj laws related to kinship caregiving
 and there are many ,federal child      

welfare laws1 it is clear that kinship  
care is acknowledged as the nationally  
accepted term for grandparents1         
relatives1 and fictive kin who are      
caring for children2 ,whereas over #dj  
,states are implementing kinship        
navigator services that support kinship 
caregivers who are not foster parents2  
and ,whereas ,states increasingly rely  
on kin as foster parents1 and are       
working to increase the percentages of  
kinship foster care3 ,now1 therefore1 be
 it ,that the ,house of                 
,representatives-- 7#a7 supports the    
designation of ,national ,kinship ,care 
,month2  7#b7 encourages the ,congress  
to implement policies to improve the    
lives of vulnerable children and        
families2  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 families2
 and  7#d7 reaffirms the need to        
continue working to improve the outcomes

 of all vulnerable children through     
parts ,b and ,e of title ,,iv of the    
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#fja et seq471 and other programs       
designed-- 7,a7 to support vulnerable   
families2  7,b7 to invest in prevention 
and reunification services2 and  7,c7 to
 ensure that extended family members who
 take on the role of kinship caregivers 
receive the necessary support4