,,iv #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #cdj ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #a1 #bjai,ms4 ,bass 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,mullin1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,del,bene1 ,mr4 ,langevin1 ,mr4 ,kildee1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,ted ,lieu of ,california1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 ,mr4 ,wittman1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mr4 ,brown of ,maryland1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,mrs4 ,demings1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,ms4 ,frankel1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,bacon1 ,ms4 ,castor of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,kelly of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard1 ,mrs4 ,lawrence1 ,mr4 ,deutch1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,mitchell1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 ,mr4 ,de,fazio1 ,ms4 ,brownley of ,california1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,california1 ,ms4 ,snchez1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama1 ,mr4 ,takano1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 ,mrs4 ,hartzler1 ,mr4 ,sean ,patrick ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,yarmuth1 ,mr4 ,hill of ,arkansas1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,miss ,rice of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,clark of ,massachusetts1 and ,mr4 ,rush7 submitted the following resolution2 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 system1 and encouraging ,congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster care system4 ,whereas ,national ,foster ,care ,month was established more than #bj years ago to-- 7#a7 bring foster care issues to the forefront2 7#b7 highlight the importance of permanency for every child2 and 7#c7 recognize the essential role that foster parents1 social workers1 and advocates have in the lives of children in foster care throughout the ,united ,states2 ,whereas all children deserve a safe1 loving1 and permanent home2 ,whereas the primary goal of the foster care system is to ensure the safety and well-being of children while working to provide a safe1 loving1 and permanent home for each child2 ,whereas1 in #bjag1 there were approximately #ddc1jjj children living in foster care2 ,whereas there were approximately #bfi1fij youth that entered the foster care system in #bjag1 while over #aag1gid youth were eligible and awaiting adoption at the end of #bjag2 ,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 families2 ,whereas foster parents are the front-line caregivers for children who cannot safely remain with their biological parents and provide physical care1 emotional support1 education advocacy1 and are the largest single source of families providing permanent homes for children leaving foster care to adoption2 ,whereas children in foster care who are placed with relatives1 compared to children placed with nonrelatives1 have more stability1 including fewer changes in placements1 have more positive perceptions of their placements1 are more likely to be placed with their siblings1 and demonstrate fewer behavioral problems2 ,whereas some relative caregivers receive less financial assistance and support services than do foster caregivers2 ,whereas recent studies show foster children enrolled in ,medicaid were prescribed antipsychotic medications at nearly #d times the rate of other children receiving ,medicaid2 ,whereas youth in foster care are much more likely to face educational instability with #fe percent of former foster children experiencing at least #g school changes while in care2 ,whereas an increased emphasis on prevention and reunification services is necessary to reduce the number of children that are forced to remain in the foster care system2 ,whereas more than #ai1ide youth aged out of foster care in #bjag without a legal permanent connection to an adult or family2 ,whereas the number of youth who age out of foster care has steadily increased for the past decade2 ,whereas foster care is intended to be a temporary placement1 but children remain in the foster care system for an average of #ai4b years2 ,whereas children in foster care experience an average of #c different placements1 which often leads to disruption of routines and the need to change schools and move away from siblings1 extended families1 and familiar surroundings2 ,whereas children entering foster care often confront the widespread misperception that children in foster care are disruptive1 unruly1 and dangerous1 even though placement in foster care is based on the actions of a parent or guardian1 not the child2 ,whereas children who age out of foster care lack the security or support of a biological or adoptive family and frequently struggle to secure affordable housing1 obtain health insurance1 pursue higher education1 and acquire adequate employment2 ,whereas on average1 #h4e percent of the positions in child protective services remain vacant2 ,whereas due to heavy caseloads and limited resources1 the average tenure for a worker in child protection services is just #c years2 ,whereas ,states1 localities1 and communities should be encouraged to invest resources in preventative and reunification services and postpermanency programs to ensure that more children in foster care are provided with safe1 loving1 and permanent placements2 ,whereas ,federal legislation over the past #c decades1 including the ,adoption ,assistance and ,child ,welfare ,act of #aihj 7,public ,law #if-bgb71 the ,adoption and ,safe ,families ,act of #aiig 7,public ,law #aje-hi71 the ,fostering ,connections to ,success and ,increasing ,adoptions ,act of #bjjh 7,public ,law #aaj-cea71 the ,child and ,family ,services ,improvement and ,innovation ,act 7,public ,law #aab-cd71 the ,preventing ,sex ,trafficking and ,strengthening ,families ,act 7,public ,law #aac-ahc71 and title ,,vii of division ,e of the ,bipartisan ,budget ,act of #bjah1 also known as the ,family ,first ,prevention ,services ,act 7,public ,law #aae-abc71 provided new investments and services to improve the outcomes of children in the foster care system2 ,whereas ,may #bjai is an appropriate month to designate as ,national ,foster ,care ,month to provide an opportunity to acknowledge the accomplishments of the child welfare workforce1 foster parents1 advocacy community1 and mentors for their dedication1 accomplishments1 and positive impact they have on the lives of children2 and ,whereas much remains to be done 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 ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 supports the designation of ,national ,foster ,care ,month2 7#b7 recognizes ,national ,foster ,care ,month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children face in the foster care system2 7#c7 encourages ,congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster care system2 7#d7 acknowledges the special needs of children in the foster care system2 7#e7 recognizes foster youth throughout the ,united ,states for their ongoing tenacity1 courage1 and resilience while facing life challenges2 7#f7 acknowledges the exceptional alumni of the foster care system who serve as advocates and role models for youth who remain in care2 7#g7 honors the commitment and dedication of the individuals who work tirelessly to provide assistance and services to children in the foster care system2 and 7#h7 reaffirms the need to continue working to improve the outcomes of all children in the foster care system through parts ,b and ,e of title ,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fja et seq47 and other programs designed to-- 7,a7 support vulnerable families2 7,b7 invest in prevention and reunification services2 7,c7 promote adoption in cases where reunification is not in the best interests of the child2 7,d7 adequately serve those children brought into the foster care system2 and 7,e7 facilitate the successful transition into adulthood for children that age out of the foster care system4